Book to Movie Review: The Pillars of the Earth

My husband and I are both HUGE Ken Follett fans.  The Pillars of the Earth is my husband's favorite Follett book, and my favorite is World Without End.  So, when we heard that Showtime was releasing The Pillars of the Earth in a mini-series, we knew we had to see it immediately.  

The mini-series is eight episodes, each about an hour long.  The  writers and producers did a great job bringing the book to life, although there was a lot more sex in the TV version than in the book.  I guess the producers felt like the book needed some spicing up.  I can do without all of that, but we were able to look past it and enjoy the rest of the show.  

The casting was perfect, with the exception of Tom Builder.  I wanted him to be bigger, taller and broader.  I always pictured him as a really big guy while reading the book.  Alfred could have been a little less petulant, but overall the actor playing Alfred did a good job.  One thing that I had some trouble with was the character playing Prior Phillip (Matthew Macfadyen).  He plays Mr. Darcy in my favorite adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.  I had a hard time accepting him as Prior Phillip because he will always be Mr. Darcy to me.
 

The plot was slightly modified from the book, but I expected this.  The book is nearly 1000 pages long and there's no way the writers could have stayed 100% true to the plot without making the mini-series at least 20 hours long.

If you have not read the book or watched the series, I highly recommend either of them.  The mini-series will ruin the book for you, so I'd recommend reading the book first, if you can stomach the hefty size.  If you don't have the time, the mini-series is a must-see.   

Click here to watch a trailer for the mini-series.

Overall, I'd give the mini-series five stars.  It was an excellent adaptation of the book!

Book Review: Fatal Embrace by Aris Whittier

Summary: 

Several years ago, Michael Craven gave up his career as a detective when his fiancé was killed and her killer never caught. Living with the guilt, he throws himself into his Montana ranch and his solitary existence. But, when a serial killer starts making his way through a nearby town, Michael is asked to come back and help a good friend and fellow detective, solve the crime. In doing so, he must hire someone to take his place on the ranch. 

When horse trainer, Jess Stanson shows up, it takes Michael by surprise. Jess turns out to be Jessica. Jessica convinces him to let her stay. Over time they establish a fragile friendship. Although, on the inside both feel more, but Michael's past prevents him from being anything but distant and serious.

Note: I have shortened the summary, taken from Goodreads, because it had some spoilers.

Release Date:  October 2, 2005
Publisher:  Five Star Trade
Age Group:  Adult 
Source: Review copy from author


Review: 

This book is classified as a romantic suspense but it was heavier on the suspense than the romance.  I was pleasantly surprised at that---I am no great fan of pure romance novels.  They always feel too shallow to me.  I was so happy that Fatal Embrace was not an empty read.  It had romance and suspense in perfect balance.

I love books set on ranches.  I think it's because I've always wanted to ride a horse, so the idea of being around horses all the time appeals to me.  The appeal of ranches is definitely not the men in Wranglers and cowboy boots, because we have plenty of that here in southeast Texas!

Michael and Jessica start out as work associates and very slowly develop a friendship.  Michael is very distant and emotionally unavailable, because of events from his past.  Jessica is a hard worker and quickly earns the respect of the ranch-hands.  She has a good sense of humor and great self-esteem.  I love it when a female lead has those qualities.  The relationship between the two develops slowly, which I love.  I don't like it when relationships move too fast because I think it's not realistic.  I'm too practical to believe in falling in love at first sight, so I don't like reading about characters who jump into bed together too quickly or declare love within a couple of days of meeting.

The book moves at a good pace, not too slow or too fast.  I enjoyed the writing and the suspense.  I think that I would have liked Fatal Embrace even more if I had read it more quickly.  I started the book after I had my baby and it took me a couple of weeks to finish it.  I don't like taking that long to read a book because I tend to forget important events and plot points along the way.

I would recommend Fatal Embrace to fans of mysteries, suspense, and romance novels.  I would definitely read more from Aris Whittier in the future!

Book Review: Iron Crowned (Dark Swan #3) by Richelle Mead

Summary: 

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land’s queen, she’s fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear…

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown’s ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril…

Review: 
I'm really enjoying this series.  Richelle Mead has done a great job creating this urban fantasy series, with complex characters, great plots, surprising plot twists, and of course, a love triangle.  My only complaint is that I have to wait for each book to come out.  I really love it when I can read an entire series back to back!

Comparisons between the Dark Swan series and Vampire Academy are inevitable, at least for me.  How can I not compare Adrian the royal Moroi and Dorian the fairy king?  Even their names are similar!  One huge difference between the two series is that Dark Swan is adult while Vampire Academy is YA.  Richelle Mead's adult novels have some pretty hot and heavy scenes in them, and Iron Crowned was no exception.  I find that too much of that cheapens a book for me.  I prefer reading about love and the depth of a connection.  I love when characters take most of a book to finally get together.  It makes the relationship mean more to me.

Even though I really like this series, I don't like Eugenie.  Something about her doesn't sit well with me, and it's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is.  I think it's the mark of a great author to make me like a book when I don't like the main character.

I think that Iron Crowned was the best Dark Swan book so far.  There were a lot of plot twists that I didn't see coming, and Mead has thickened the plot, which makes me think that book four will be even better.

At the end of the day, though, reading any of Richelle Mead's other novels besides the Vampire Academy series is like eating an apple when I really want chocolate: just not enough.  I can't pick up a book by Richelle Mead without getting "hungry" for Vampire Academy.  I have to really talk to myself to make myself give her other books a fair chance! 

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
No

 

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza

***CLOSED***

Congrats to Bakin_Goddess!

"Hop"py Easter! The Easter Bunny just happened to hop by and leave an Easter goody, so enter for a chance to win and then hop onto the next blog. 

We are giving away Enclave (ARC) by Ann Aguirre!  Just leave a comment for a chance to win and list how you follow us. 

Giveaway rules:
Follow us on GFC, Twitter, or Facebook...sign up and good luck! Giveaway is open for US residents only.  

Be sure to visit the next stop on the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Hop! 

Thank you for visiting I'd So Rather Be Reading!

Book Review: As You Wish (Time of Transition #2) by Gabi Stevens

Summary: 

Regina Scott, known as Reggie, has made a successful life for herself despite her lack of magical powers. She is content to live out her life as a Groundling until the outgoing fairy godmothers tell her she’s the second new replacement. In the space of a few days, she faces a curse, a plot to overthrow the Arcani world, and an entirely too enthusiastic mother. And she doesn’t know which will be the most difficult to deal with. Can Reggie balance trust, magic, and danger and still find the happiness she deserves? 

Release Date:  April 26, 2011
Publisher:  Tor Books

Age Group:  Adult

Source:  Review copy from author

Review: 

I liked The Wish List, book one in the Time of Transition series, a lot.  When Gabi Stevens offered me a review copy of As You Wish, I was super excited and honored.  But I was a little worried I would miss Kristin and Tennyson, since I fell in love with them during The Wish List.  I was so happy that they were featured in  As You Wish right alongside Reggie!  Don't get me wrong, As You Wish is definitely Reggie's story, but Kristin and Tennyson are a part of the story too.  I was surprised that I liked Reggie just as much as Tennyson.  She is smart, kind, loyal and spunky. 

Gabi Stevens writes with an attention to detail that I just love.  My favorite thing about The Wish List was her characterization of Kristin.  I really identified with Kristin and just love clicking with a character like that.  In As You Wish, my favorite characters were Joy, Tommy, and Alf.  Reggie's relationship with Joy and Tommy really made the book for me.  I loved the diversification of the characters.

Stevens does an excellent job at balancing humor, romance, and intrigue along with a well-thought out story line.  Reggie's interactions with her family were funny.  I loved the antics of Reggie's mom and sister and found them very believable.  The three fairy godmothers were not as central to the plot as they were in The Wish List, something that I missed a little.  I love reading about the godmothers and would have liked to see more of them.

The romance between Reggie and her leading men was very sweet.  I loved the development of the relationships and the build-up to the love story.  I was hoping for another happy ending and was not disappointed!

Just One Gripe: 
I missed the three godmothers but got my comic relief from Reggie's family.

The Best Thing About This Book: 
It was a well-rounded, well-written story with lovable characters, a great plot and happy ending.  What's not to like about that?

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
No, there is definitely some romance and scenes inappropriate for a YA audience.  

Score: 

Characters:  5/5

Plot: 4/5

Setting/Imagery:  4/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 5/5

Total Score:  22/25

It's Our 1st Birthday!

WOW! All these Fictional Affairs in a single year!

When we started I'd So Rather Be Reading, we didn't know a thing about blogging.  We had never heard of ARCs, we never expected to get books for free, or to get books early.  All we wanted was to meet other readers and talk about books (and our book boyfriends)!  

We've had so much fun this past year.  We have made some great blogging friends and had lots of fun in the blogging world.  There are amazing readers around the world and we are so happy to have joined your literary world! And you can bet we will continue to attend as many book signing events as we can...and BEA 2012 look out our babies will be toddlers!


We'd like to thank our followers for reading our blog and caring about what we have to say (keep ALL the comments coming, we read every single one). 


Thank you to the authors who have supported us and asked for book reviews---we are honored by each and every request.  Thank you to the publishers who have sent us books for review.  Every time we get a book in the mail, it's like Christmas morning for us.

Thank you all and we look forward to our next year!

Book Review: Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre

Summary: 

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms.

Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade.

When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth.

Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as to using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

Release Date:  April 12, 2011

Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends

Pages:  259

Age Group:  Young Adult

Source:  Review copy from publisher 

Review: 

I really enjoyed this dystopia.  The book reminded me of Scott Westerfeld's Peeps, in two ways.  First, many of the characters in both books live underground in the subway tunnels.  Second, there are cannibalistic, mindless creatures preying on humans, with special task forces dedicated to protecting the populace.

I found Peeps to be good but not great.  On the other hand, I thought Enclave was great.  The world building was exceptional.  First in a series novels can drag during the world building phase, but Ann Aguirre strikes the perfect balance between world building and action.


A common pitfall of dystopian novels, in my opinion, is that they can be short on emotion.  That is not the case with Enclave.  I felt like I really got to know Deuce and experienced the emotional ups and downs of the book right along with her.  I also liked that there was some romance to this book.  Many dystopias are all action, all the time so I liked the inclusion of the love story.


The plot was full of twists and turns.  Aguirre took the book in a direction I wasn't expecting, which I love.  The book felt dark to me, which is to be expected with an apocalyptic dystopia.  Just when I felt like I couldn't take the darkness any more, there would be a thread of hope and lightness.


I am looking forward to the next book in the series---Outpost---due out in 2012!

Just One Gripe: 
The book overall is dark.  This is definitely not a light and fluffy read.  It's thrilling and emotional---prepare to ride a wave emotion right along with the characters.

The Best Thing About This Book: 

The plot is intense and left me guessing the entire time.

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
It's about the same level as The Hunger Games.  There is definitely some violence.

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 5/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Total Score:  22/25

Book Review: This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress #5) by Jeaniene Frost

Summary: 

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.  
 
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

Review: 

Ahh, Jeaniene Frost.  You are the perfect antidote to the book slump and the book depression.  You even break me out of nesting mode.  I had a hard time putting This Side of the Grave down, it was that good!  I think it's hard to keep a series interesting after five books, but Frost does a great job.  Her books are not short, quick reads like Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, which I love.  I don't mind waiting a year or so for an installment in a series if it's going to be a nice thick read like Frost's novels.  I read it slowly to make it last, but it was still over too fast. 

This Side of the Grave was definitely racier than Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress #4).  It seems like the romance factor in Frost's books varies from book to book.  I'm no fan of romances, so I tend to really prefer the books without all of the sex.  However, it did not keep me from enjoying every bit of the layered plot and excellent writing. 



Attention all Night Huntress fans---do you like Cat better as a human or a vampire?  I'm voting human, but vampire Cat is growing on me.

The ending left things open for One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6), but not so open that there is a big cliffhanger---kudos to Frost for leaving things at a perfect end where I'm excited to keep reading but not mad that you left me hanging for months!

Just One Gripe: 

If, like me, you have not read the Night Huntress spin off series, please be aware that this book contains spoilers for the Night Huntress World books.  I now know how both books in the Night Huntress World end, which is a huge disappointment for me.  There's no way to read this book without spoiling First Drop of Crimson or Eternal Kiss of Darkness, so I would recommend reading those books before reading This Side of the Grave. 

The Best Thing About This Book: 
The layered plot keeps things so interesting and makes me excited about the rest of the series.  I think that this is one of those series that's going to just keep getting better and better with each book. 

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
No!!

Score: 

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Total Score:  25/25

Who Are Young Adult Books Written For? (Part 1)

I have had several people over the last year express their likes and dislikes with the Young Adult classification of books. Some have said that YA novels have adult content and are inappropriate for teens; while others have said this category has made them and their teens fall in love with reading. So the question is Who are Young Adult Books Written For?

As far as I know these are the current age categories: Adult Fiction, Young Adult (YA) Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, and Children's Fiction. Since we primarily read YA, some Adult & Middle Grade/Teen we are not discussing Children's Fiction in this post. I have decided to go to the experts... YOU! I asked several book bloggers (Part 1 & Part 2) their thoughts on the subject.

When you think of young adult readers vs. teen/middle grade readers what age ranges are you thinking?

YA: ages 16-20s (even though I'm in my earlier 30s and I read YA LOL). Middle Grade: ages 11-15 Book Vixen

For young adult readers I usually think 15 and older and for teen/middle grade 14 and younger. Eleni, La Femme Readers 

Young Adult, I think ages 14 - 17 & Middle Grade, I think 11-13 Julia, RexRobotReviews

When I think of "young adult readers" I generally think of 15-16 years old and up. I don't think there's an upper age barrier for that one. Many grown men and women enjoy young adult books, and I myself prefer them though I am no longer in my teens. Casey, The Bookish Type

6th grade and above Julie, My 5 Monkeys

What is a good example of a Middle Grade/Teen Book? Young Adult?

Hm, a good middle grade/teen book would be Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors and an awesome young adult book would be City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Eleni, La Femme Readers

K Rowling would be a good example of Middle Grade book... Young Adult a good example would be the Bartimaeus Trilogy Julia, RexRobotReviews

I think the best example of a Middle Grade book would be the Percy Jackson series. As for Young Adult, the prolific Sarah Dessen immediately comes to mind. Casey, The Bookish Type

Twilight for Young adult -- Middle grade is a bit tougher for me to chose something. Julie, My 5 Monkeys

Would you recommend any of the following YA books to 10-13 year olds: Why or Why not? 

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

Yes, The reason for each 'yes' answer is the same: I would let my children, when they get to that age, read these books. I don't see anything wrong with them reading them. I'd rather know what my children are reading so we can talk about it than have them read something behind my back and be afraid to ask me stuff.  Book Vixen

Um, 10 no, a 13 year old MAYBE. The content is pretty clean though. Eleni, La Femme Readers 

Yes, for 13+ because the focus of the novel is relationships. Julia, RexRobotReviews

Sure -- they're pretty clean, non-violent reads Casey, The Bookish Type

Yes because its romance and clean Julie, My 5 Monkeys

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Yes, Book Vixen

Yes, magical and fun! Eleni, La Femme Readers

Yes for 10+ because there is age appropriate adventure and the story/writing evolves with each novel Julia, RexRobotReviews

Absolutely -- J. K. Rowling teaches lessons that anyone of any age can benefit from. Casey, The Bookish Type

Yes Clean and more about friendship but as the books get farther along more darker and more about death. Julie, My 5 Monkeys

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Yes, Book Vixen.

Yes, it is a great example since suicide is unfortunately reaching young kids now a days. Eleni, La Femme Readers

I would recommend this to someone a little older as well because it deals with such difficult and sensitive themes.  Casey, The Bookish Type

House of Night series by PC & Kristen Cast

No, too much weird stuff going on, especially Zoey's floosy behavior. Eleni, La Femme Readers

Read one book and didn't like the writing nor the characters , so NO Julie, My 5 Monkeys

HECK NO! These books did have appeal to my friends and myself (ages 25 and up) in the beginning but sadly they have gotten "way out there" for us let alone tween's. The content is just bizarre. Natalie, I'd So Rather Be Reading

the Giver series by Lois Lowery

Yes, Book Vixen

Hmmm, I read it once in high school, so I'd say no to 10-13 yr olds. Eleni, La Femme Readers

I would reccomend this for ages 13+ just because I think the subject matter is easier to grasp the older you are when you read it. I absolutely loved it when I read it and I was 12... but when I read it again when I was 15, it was like an entirely different book to me. Julia, RexRobotReviews

Yes, absolutely. This seems more like a children's book, but it's still enjoyable later in life. I read it for the first time when I was 18 or 19. (I know, I know.) Casey, The Bookish Type

Love, love, love this series and absolutely would recommend it to any young reader. Natalie, I'd So Rather Be Reading

To be continued...

Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate! Keep an eye out for part two, more questions & thoughts to come.
 

Book Review: Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr

Summary: 

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

Review: 
Be still my heart!!  I finally got what I wanted out of Melissa Marr: CLOSURE!  My one complaint with her Wicked Lovely series has been the lack of definitive endings with each book in the series.  Each book had its own arc, but she was introducing new characters before the old characters' stories were concluded.  This made for great reading but left something to be desired, in my opinion, because I never got an ending to anyone's story.


I have been anxiously awaiting Darkest Mercy for months now and was thrilled to receive it and start reading.  For me to sit and read a "real" book instead of a parenting book or working in Kaitlyn's nursery like I have been for months is a really big deal.  I knew I was excited about Darkest Mercy when I actually sat down after work to read for a change! 

Darkest Mercy starts with Keenan missing.  He has gone a little rogue, so to speak, and Aislinn is left to lead the Summer Court alone.  Seth continues to be torn between his love for Aislinn and his loyalty to his adoptive mother, Sorcha, and Bananach is stirring up discord and starting a war.  There are a couple of new characters in this book, and they really add a lot to the story.  I enjoyed the depth of the plot, the quality of the writing, and the suspense until the very last pages.  Marr keeps things interesting and I can never guess where her plots will lead---I love that!

If you have not picked up the Wicked Lovely books, I would recommend them to anyone.  They are a great start into the paranormal genre, and a perfect example of YA done right.

Just One Gripe: 
I didn't like the lack of definition of Niall and Irial's relationship.  Are they or aren't they---that is the question.    

The Best Thing About This Book: 
While I think that imagery is one of Melissa Marr's defining characteristics, my favorite thing about this book was the conclusion to each characters' story.

Appropriate for a younger audience: 
Probably.

Score: 

Characters: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Total Score:  25/25