DeAnna Cameron’s historical fiction novel. The Belly Dancer sounded like the perfect combination of my interests: the Victorian age, belly dancing, and a dash of romance. However, in spite of this, it still managed to be incredibly boring and forced.

The writing itself varied from stale to borderline melodramatic. No matter which it decided to be at that moment, it was never interesting. Even a novel with bad writing can be overcome by a great story and deep characters. Unfortunately, there was neither of these to save The Belly Dancer.

Though the synopsis, as well as many internet reviews, have called this novel a romance, I don’t really understand how people can come to this conclusion. Very little of the novel was dedicated to the budding relationship between Hossom Farouck and Dora, the novel’s protagonist. The majority of their romance consisted of longing glances, brief dialogue exchanges, and then one episode of sex. There should have been an increased focus on the romance or they should have cut it out entirely. I understand the romance’s role in assisting the protagonist’s discovery of her sexuality, but it was not well-executed. It seemed like an afterthought more than anything else and this is made very obvious to the reader. Though the synopsis focuses on her romance with Hossom, the majority of the book is contributed to Dora trying to make her husband sexually attracted to her. It made no sense to me.

The Belly Dancer tries to walk that fine line between romance novel and historical fiction, but instead ends up in this limbo area that simply doesn’t work. It was almost as though she were attempting to write a novel in the vein of Philippa Gregory, but fails because she does not have the same knack for character development or simulating the period through writing. The romance lacked body and passion, while some of the historical information was correct, it was muddled in Cameron’s poor delivery.

Cameron’s treatment of Dora as a character was a large contributor to the novel’s failure. Instead of treating Dora and the entire period from a modern perspective, which seems to be what she was attempting by having a woman who instantly accepted Egyptians, she ends up in another limbo area. She is so eager to please her husband that she knows is being unfaithful and treating her like nothing, something common of the period, but at the same time is completely accepting of other races. It is not at all believable.

It seemed like a good bit of this novel is incomplete. There were so many possibilities that Cameron presents and then doesn’t utilized. Monotonous prose does not help matters at all. If I were to base my opinion of Cameron on this novel, I don’t think I’d be reading another by her again.

Toy Story 3 takes a look at childhood and growing up in a way that really plucks at your heartstrings. The thing I found most interesting about the film was targeted towards an older audience. That’s not to say that it wasn’t made for children as well, but it was created with people my age in mind, the ones who were children when Toy Story originally came out and grew up with the film. There was a lot about Andy going off to college and the way people change through time. It took a slightly darker turn (I won’t go into it for the sake of spoilers) it was still suitable for a kid’s movie, but wasn’t quite as lighthearted as the previous two. In a sense I was okay with this, but at the same time I will always remember it as the heaviest of the series. It made my friend and I cry at the end.

The story was cohesive and enthralling, the characters still had their original voice actors, and the relationships between the characters was heartfelt and sincere. This is the way sequels should be done. This was not another cash cow for the film studios. It was the perfect conclusion to the Toy Story series and I’m happy that Pixar made additional movies, which is not something I say often. It comes highly recommended from me, especially if you grew up with Toy Story.

This collection of poetry is a must-read!

Stephen Dunn is well-acquainted with the inner workings of both himself and others. As you’re reading, you find yourself continually saying “I know exactly what he means” or “Wow, I’ve had moments just like this.” Dunn touches heavily upon feelings of isolation, especially in the context of the modern world, and the fleeting nature of happiness. He takes these thoughts we have daily involving the agonies of life, the beauties of life, the in-betweens, and places them into a short, sweet package.

The simplicity of his language fascinates me, because he still manages to express himself eloquently and convey his ideas without too much fluff. Perhaps it is this straightforwardness that makes his poetry have so much impact.

I particularly enjoyed the poems “The Guardian Angel,” Sweetness," “Between Angels,” “To a Terrorist,” “Urgencies,” and so many others. It’s difficult to pick favorites. They are all pretty excellent.

I am still baffled by the amount of rave reviews Briar Rose received. Admittedly, the story is very unique. The idea of comparing the Holocaust to the Sleeping Beauty fairytale may seem a bit far-fetched initially, yet Yolen manages to bring the truth of this parallel to light. Unfortunately, it was executed in a way that really detracted from what was formally an original idea. Instead we are left with a poorly written, confused, and mediocre young adult novel.

Many of the characters that populate this book are completely unconvincing. Beccah is a shallow protagonist with a boring personality and no flaws to speak of. Magda stuck out to me in particular. She was a nuisance to read with her broken English, and her benign comments seemed to only reinforce the stereotype of the “Stupid Polack.” Stan was a useless plot device (Beccah’s love interest) and should have been further developed or thrown out entirely, as the romance seemed to have no real purpose at all.

There also seems to be an issue in this book with age. Many of the adults act like children. Beccah is so immature I thought her to be 16 or 17 rather than 23. Her sisters were by far the worst though, with their constant bickering and melodramatics, spewing out comments that only a spiteful 10 year old would say. Every time I read their dialogue I would consider putting down the book permanently. Unfortunately this was required reading for a class, so on I read.

I would have much rather seen a novel based on the story Josef tells. The characters were much more human and the action much more real. But even this part of the novel was lacking It wasn’t developed enough to be heart wrenching in the way it had the potential to be. It is not difficult to make stories about the Holocaust sad. However, to make it a truly emotional story, one must pay close attention to the characters and the pacing. Both of these are severely neglected. However, this isn’t just an issue with the telling of Josef’s story. There seems to be something missing throughout the entire book. It desperately needed to be further elaborated on and tied together more neatly.

Overall Briar Rose was a great idea that fell flat due to poor character development, writing, and (what seemed to me) laziness. The amount of complaints I have about this novel are innumerable. The only thing that really keeps me from calling it one of the most disappointing books I have ever read is the idea that underlies it. There is so much untapped potential here it is frustrating. I wish Yolen had taken better advantage of the opportunity she was given.

You’ve seen this movie before. Several times. Unfortunately, because of this fact, this particular film stands in the shadow of others who have also used this idea and executed it better.

The little comedic value this film has is lost in the fact that the characters are not at all likable. Sally Field is panicked and whiny most of the time, while Jeffery Caan’s character is just an asshole. The last thing you want is for the two of them to get together, which is the entire point of the movie. Jeff Bridges is the most enjoyable of the cast, which of course, messes with the dynamics, as we end up wishing that Field and Bridges could reunite.

The only thing this movie does that goes against the normal “ghost of dead spouse makes an appearance” romantic comedy formula is that it switches around the genders of the ghost. Rather than the usual vengeful wife coming back from the grave to haunt her husband, we have a widow who is having doubts about her new engagement when her dead husband ghost presents himself to her. Unfortunately, this slight change-up does not make it original, nor does it make up for the lack-luster “comedic” scenarios the script contrives.

Overall, it’s pretty mediocre, especially when you compare it to others which have prospered (or in the case of “Over Her Dead Body”, failed). If you enjoyed this movie, then I would suggest taking a look at “Blithe Spirit” starring Rex Harrison. It’s the better film, by miles.

As a Tool fan, I have to say that I was underwhelmed by 10,000 Days. It’s clear that they put a ton of effort into every aspect of their work, but overall I did not find this musical experience as enjoyable as say Lateralus or Aenima. Many of the tracks I found a bit boring relatively speaking (keep in mind this is compared to their past works, not to music in general). However, that’s not to say there were not songs on this that I found innovative and engrossing.

“Vicarious” is insightful and stimulating, the perfect opening to the album. “Jambi” has some of the most interesting guitar work I’ve ever heard. “The Pot”, I would argue, had the most mainstream success (and that success was not undeserved). “Lipan Conjuring” has a tribal aspect to it that somehow manages to fit in with the rest of the album. “Rosetta Stoned” shows that Tool can have a sense of humor and still create that surreal experience they are known for. “Right in Two” is a scathing, but very true and unique social commentary. I appreciate the “Wings” series for what it is, but I don’t think I’ll be putting either song on my iPod anytime soon.

Let’s just face it though, really Tool can’t lose. They’re lyrics are amazing, the voice Maynard provides is versatile, and they create instrumentals that really absorb you into the experience they have created. Tool is miles better than most other artists out there, so “disappointing” for them earns 4 stars. I wouldn’t pick up this album before some of their others, but if anyone deserves a Grammy, it’s these guys.

http://www.thebollywoodticket.com/Reviews09/parineeta909.html

This book started out as a very clever idea, an attractive, promising premise for a story. A man known only as Mr. Blank wakes up in an austere room with no memory of how he got there. Good premise, no? The writing lives up to the storyline. It is wonderful, minimalist, yet somehow very descriptive. The situation and mental tortures are almost Orwellian. The events and characters introduced were very intriguing. As you neared the end of the book you were starving to see how the author would tie all these mysterious events and people together.

Unfortunately, the ending made me so angry that I have ended up despising this book. Paul Auster is no Jonathan Fowles. Jumping into the story in the manner that he did shattered the entire point of reading his book. Well, if they are all just characters helping you live in infamy (which in and of itself is vain) then what the hell do I want to read your book for? No one cares if you live in infamy. You are not being deep by pointing this out when you have strung your reader along hoping for an ending to the story. It was even torture for Mr. Blank in the book when he could not find out the end to the story! You would think the author would realize what he is doing to his readers. If he does, then he is obviously having fun with the market. Frankly, I can’t believe the book was published with such a half-assed “deep” ending.

Later I discovered that the characters in this book are references to characters in his other books. This is wonderful and all, but the synopsis could have included this for the benefit of readers who haven’t read his past works. I don’t think I will be purchasing another one of Paul Auster’s book ever. Travels to the Scriptorium is a waste of time and effort if you have not read any of his other works. I also have a sneaking suspicion that even previous readers of Auster will find this particular novel stark, uninteresting, and an upfront waste of time.

This is without a doubt chick lit, the premise itself screams of it. So I wasn’t expecting anything deep, just a quick and lovely fluff read. That is exactly what I got, but like some forms of fluff, it was oddly addicting. Most women, by nature, fantasize about both real men and oftentimes imaginary ones. This is the common thread that links the readers of this book to Jane, the main character of Austenland.

Admittedly, quite a few things annoyed me about Jane as a character. She shared her first name with the writer who created her obsession (Mr. Darcy). I found this so matchy, matchy, and charming that it plucked at my nerves. There are a lot of odd coincidences in life, but in a book it seems incredibly forced and yanks you right out of the story. Jane’s pathetic attitude towards men who screwed her over was a real bother at first and for a great deal of the book I did not think that any significant change would occur in Jane from the start and end of the novel. Hale did not seem to address this issue into the end, where Jane finally gained the confidence to say no and end her life dangling on a string for men to eat then spit back out again. I found her much more sympathetic after she dropped the pathetic attitude.

The light bits in the beginning of each chapter about her ex-boyfriends and all the men in her life were laugh out loud funny. If only these poignant bits reflected the rest of the book. Many times the dialogue lacked a spark, an authenticity. Overall she improved as she reached the end of the novel, a welcoming change from the usual pattern. It became more and more funny as you read.

Though a lot of readers found this book predictable, which in many ways it was, I found myself believing Hale would take this novel in a different direction. I thought she would end up with Martin, the “real” guy. I was proud that she took it in the “follow your dreams” direction. It was a good fit for this particular novel.

Overall, it was a cute, addicting piece of fluff with enough Austen references to keep any fan good and happy.

I picked up this book on a Barnes & Noble bargain shelf. The flamboyant pink cover attracted the eye, but what forced me to page through was the fantastic and oh-so-true title. The corresponding essay was not a disappointment. I ended up reading 30 pages of it at the book store. I was hooked. Every other paragraph had me giggling at Rivenbark’s wry sense of humor. I had to purchase it.

Though I am a native to the technically Southern state of Maryland (the North thinks were Southern, the South thinks we‘re Northern, so who knows what we are), I found that many of these ironic stories and observations apply to everyday life of those both in and out of the South. That was the primary reason why I enjoyed it.

Some may believe you need to have kids to appreciate this side-splitting collection of essays, but I disagree. I have absolutely no intention of having kids, yet I found all the discussions about her family life to be relatable and downright hilarious. Perhaps, being an only child, I can relate to her daughter Sophie. Perhaps Celia reminds me a bit of my own mother (though a lot more funny). Either way, I found that these stories could easily be entertaining for everyone, at least a great deal of the American female population.

Ultimately, Celia Rivenbark is human, charming, and above all funny. This woman belongs in her field, without a doubt. I look forward to reading her other books.