In This Fateful Hour...

This past Thursday a truly amazing woman and author passed away. Sadly, this story was buried under the latest celeb gossip, Pavorotti's deatha and other things so that I didn't hear about it until a customer mentioned it to me today.

Madeleine L'Engle was my favorite author when I was younger. I must have read A Swiftly Tilting Planet at least a dozen times. At one point I had even memorized the poem that the the chapters made and would list it as my favorite poem. "A Ring of Endless Light" was another favorite, which I also read countless times. Her books were more than your typical fantasy fiction. Unlike some authors, she did not underestimate the intelligence of your average teenager. Her novels were intelligent and complex, and I loved them.

For more on the life of Madeleine L'Engle, here is a link to the New York Times article posted yesterday: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/books/07cnd-lengle.html?ex=1204776000&en=b8c04cc938dda37f&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNmadeleineengle

Harry Potter - "We've got something worth fighting for."

Warning: This review was written under the assumption that everyone reading would have at least read the book, whether or not they’ve seen the movie. In other words, I didn’t hold back while discussing the ending.

Last Friday night I went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I was a little hesitant about this film because I hadn’t been too impressed with The Goblet of Fire, but I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about. I think this film is the best of the series so far. I heard that Daniel Radcliffe has stated that it’s his favorite film so far and I can see why. While it had the expected deviations from the book, they managed to cover the really important scenes and they didn’t add in too many random unnecessary scenes that had nothing to do with the book. I think they managed to stay as close to the book as they could given the obvious time constraints. The effects and everything in this movie were also very well done.

Ralph Fiennes is so good at playing Voldemort. The guy is just downright creepy. After watching “Maid in Manhattan” (don’t laugh) I really wouldn’t have expected it, but he is. I think Ralph Fiennes was my favorite part of the fourth film, and he was just as good (if not better) this time around.

I think they did a great job of portraying Harry’s isolation in this film. Even when he was around Ron and Hermione it was easy to tell how alone he felt. Since this isolation was one of the larger themes of the fifth novel, I was happy to see that they were able to translate it onto film so well.

I was also happy with the change to the fire scene in this movie. I know that changing how Sirius appeared in the fire doesn’t fit with the fourth film, but I still liked the change. I was never happy with how they did that in the last film. Of course, I was also bitter because that was the only Sirius scene we got, and I really wanted to see more of Sirius in the fourth movie. Which brings me to my next point.

I loved the increase of Sirius’ role in this movie. I knew we had to see more of him in order to make the ending of the movie more emotional, but I was really worried about how they were going to do this and was afraid they would cheat us out of some good Harry/Sirius moments. Instead, I think they did a really good job of making the scenes impactful; in some ways they were even more meaningful than the interaction Harry and Sirius had in the book. It was more than just Harry and Sirius interacting, you could feel the bond that they had formed, which was really important, since we didn’t get to see Harry and Sirius really interact during the last movie. I was even okay with them changing the scene with the Order of the Phoenix photo because it gave Harry and Sirius more screen time together.

It figures that I would just begin to like Gary Oldman as Sirius Black while watching this movie. When he was first cast for the role I wasn’t thrilled because I’m not a huge Oldman fan (nothing against him, I just haven’t seen many of his movies) and I was expecting someone younger (same with Lupin, I was expecting someone younger and better looking than David Thewlis). However, the more I watch the Prisoner of Azkaban and while watching this movie I really starting liking him in the role. He’s still not quite the Sirius Black I had imagined, but he does a really good job. So good in fact, that I cried every time Sirius and Harry interacted with each other. I’m not kidding. Right from the beginning, when Sirius saw Harry walking up the hall towards the kitchen in Grimmauld Place, there were tears. And I nearly died when he told Harry, “When this is over we’ll be a proper family, you’ll see.” Oh that hurt. And I had tears from the time Harry had the vision of Voldemort torturing Sirius until well past the time credits started rolling. I cry every time I read the book, but seeing it on screen and actually watching Sirius fall through that arch was horrible.

Dolores Umbridge was just as foul as I imagined her. I think they did a good job casting, and writing her part. She was even more sickening in the movie than in the book. I despised her even more on screen and I didn’t think that was possible. I really wanted to smash every one of those kitten plates hanging on the wall in her office; I cringed every time they did a scene in there (and from the sounds I was hearing in the theater I wasn’t the only one), but that’s a good thing. I think it’s great that the Umbridge in the film was able to evoke such strong emotions in the audience.

As I said earlier, I think they did a god job of staying fairly close to the book. I had created a list in my head of the scenes that I thought were most important to have in the movie, and I’m pretty sure they covered every one. Of course, some were slightly altered from the way they were written in the book, but most times that didn’t bother me with this film. It seemed like the changes they made were at least reasonable within the context of the film. And a lot of times if they changed a scene, or added one, they at least included dialogue from the book, so the scene wasn’t entirely a throwaway scene. One of my biggest complaints from the fourth film (aside from the lack of Sirius time) was the lengthening of the dragon scene. They spent a lot of extra time and money creating a whole sequence of events that didn’t even take place in the book, when they could have been adding in more important scenes, or at least making the maze a little cooler (I wasn’t impressed with the maze scene either).

I think my favorite moment in this film would have to be Sirius apparating and punching Lucius as he tells him to “get away from my godson!” I loved every scene between Harry and Sirius, but I really loved this scene. While I hated it at the same time (like I said, tears, lots of tears) I think those moments before Sirius fell through the veil were the best in the film. Hearing Sirius tell Harry he had performed, “beautifully,” seeing them fight side by side; I know it wasn’t exactly as it was written in the book but I think it was amazingly well done, and as I said before it all worked to make that final, horrible moment all the more powerful. And I know this is probably heresy, but I think I almost liked this scene better in the movie than I do in the book.

I think they also did a good job with the fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort, and I liked how they showed Voldemort possessing Harry. I think the visuals were great and I liked how they flashed through all those important memories that helped Harry regain control. Finally, I loved the expression on Fudge's face, "He's back!" Duh! haha.I also how liked how they left the ending hopeful for Harry.

Did anyone else notice that during the scene with Luna? I can’t remember her exact line, but it was something like, “The things we lose have a way of finding they’re way back to us; though maybe not as we expect.” It was almost as if they were foreshadowing Sirius’ return, or at least leaving the door open for it. When I first read this book I was in utter denial and was convinced Sirius could not possibly be gone forever. I’m not quite as certain of that anymore, but I like how the ending of this movie left it open, as if the screenwriter is also hopeful that Sirius might still return in the final book.

I think that’s all I really have to say about the movie. I would really like to be able to see it again, but there’s still a lot of other good movies coming out so I don’t know if I’ll get the chance. But I really enjoyed this movie, which is good since I didn’t expect to. Now that I finally finished my review I’m looking forward to hearing what everyone else thought about the movie!

Daniel Craig - Not a bad Bond after all

Now, before I begin I must admit that I have not seen many of the early Bond Movies (though I fully intend to see them all someday), and it’s been a while since I’ve seen any of the Pierce Brosnan movies, so I can’t really compare Casino Royale to the other movies, but I will do my best to review this movie as it ties in with the rest of the series.

I never saw Casino Royale in theatres; a decision which I now regret. At the time I was disappointed with the casting of Bond. I had loved Pierce Brosnan and was upset that they hadn’t asked him to reprise the role. Then I was even more upset that his replacement would be an actor who doesn’t look anything like the stereotypical image of Bond I’ve had in my head my entire life. I just couldn’t imagine James Bond with blond hair and blue eyes. I love Daniel Craig, I just never would have pictured him as Bond. Until now.

At first I was worried that this movie might seem confusing, or disjointed in a way, since they were telling the an origin story in the present day, as if the first 20 movies never happened, but I thought they did a great job telling the story. My brother had a little trouble wrapping his head around that premise, but it never bothered me at all.

I loved the opening black and white sequence. It really set the tone for the entire film and made it feel very much like a spy movie right from the beginning. I think that is my favorite part of the entire movie just because of the feel of that scene. I also loved the opening theme sequence. I think it was much more creative than the previous ones, and I must say I appreciated the fact that there were no half-dressed women in this opening sequence.

Craig’s Bond is much more rough around the edges than the Bonds we are accustomed to. I know some die-hard fans may not appreciate that, but I think it works seeing as this was basically an origin movie. He hasn’t yet gained that suave, debonair personality that we tend to associate with Bond. But I really liked the more raw feeling that came with this movie.

Another thing that I liked about this movie was that they didn’t try to find an actor to replace Desmond Llewelyn as Q. The man will forever be remembered as Q and there is just no way to replace him. And his replacement, R, wouldn’t have made any sense in this film, since it would have taken place while Q was still working for MI6. Along the lines of Bond technology, I actually liked the fact that this film didn’t rely so heavily on all the gadgets Bond usually carries. I know the gadgetry has become almost synonymous with Bond films, but I liked the deviation from that this time around.

It was kind of fun to see how they played with the typical Bond stereotypes in this film. Such as, his preference for martinis “shaken, not stirred.” When the bartender asked him if he would like it shaken or stirred he just looked at him and replied, “Do I look like I give a damn?” You will James, you will. Also, this film sort of explained Bond’s aversion to using aliases, which is something I always wondered about. Why did he always use his real name? Simple. If the bad guy does his homework he’s already going to know who Bond is anyway, so there’s no use for an alias. It actually kind of makes sense.

Finally, I loved the final scene of the film. When we see James, and that oh-so-familiar theme music starts playing you can feel it. He has become Bond. This entire movie was about James Bond becoming the agent we all know him to be, and that final scene made it clear that he had completed the transition. I loved it.

Now, after watching “Casino Royale” I’m completely sold on the idea of a blond-haired, blue-eyed James Bond and I’m looking forward to the next film, which, according to imdb.com, will also star Daniel Craig.

So if you haven’t seen this Bond film yet, or you’re hesitating because you’re not sure about its star, then I would definitely recommend renting it. You may just change your mind about Daniel Craig as Bond. I certainly did.

Of Bikes and Men

“I have nothing to hide. As far as I’m concerned, people can know everything about me if they want: how much money I’ve made, when I’ve been a fool or felt regret or shed tears. I don’t care. There’s no reason to hold anything back. I don’t feel the need to be selective in order to create some image of a person who isn’t me. I’m me. That’s it.” – Floyd Landis in Positively False

Before I begin, I must add a small disclaimer. A week ago I knew absolutely nothing about the world of professional cycling. I knew who Lance Armstrong was, I knew what the Tour de France was and approximately when it takes place and I knew all about the controversy surrounding Floyd Landis’ win last year (at least, I knew what the media was saying about it). However, I knew nothing about the details of cycling until this past week.

For those of you who may not know, I work in a bookstore. Last Sunday, June 24, I went in to check my schedule for the following week and I learned that I would be working the night of the Floyd Landis book signing. Not only would I be working, but I was assigned to be the “Book Passer,” the person to take the books from the customers and hand them to Landis. This was nerve-wracking for two reasons: 1) I’ve never met anyone as internationally famous as he is (except maybe Danny Glover) and 2) Standing right next to Floyd all night would put me right in the path of all the cameras and reporters who were sure to be at the event. I’m not a fan of attention, but I got over that quickly. I was more concerned about the first issue. I decided since I would be spending that much time near the guy I had better know something about him, so I borrowed a copy of his new book Positively False (one of the many great perks of working for a bookstore: we can borrow any hardcover book we want to read).

I read most of the book in less than 24 hours. It was actually rather fascinating. I had no idea how much effort goes into cycling, and how much work is involved. Aside from learning a lot about Floyd’s life, I learned a lot about the sport itself. Here’s just a few things I learned from reading Landis’ book:

1. Professional Cycling is really a team sport. If you’re a cycling fan, don’t laugh. I really didn’t know this. I knew there were “teams” but I always thought it was still every man for himself. I didn’t realize that no one could win without a team, and that entire team basically works so that the leader can win.

2. There are many strategies involved in cycling. Again, I had no idea what all is involved in this sport. Once I learned that cycling is a team sport, I was fascinated to learn how that team works together to help the leader win.

3. I learned what the big deal about the color yellow is. It now makes sense to me why Lance Armstrong chose yellow for his “LiveStrong” bracelets.

Aside from everything I learned about cycling in general, I also learned about the anti-doping system, and about Landis’ case. I had already decided a long time ago that I didn’t really believe he was guilty. I figured he was fighting way too hard and just didn’t seem like the type to cheat. After reading Landis’ book, I’ve decided that he’s really been given a bad deal. From the evidence that his defense team has uncovered it seems like he never should have been accused of doping in the first place. There’s a chapter towards the end of the book that outlines just a few points Landis is using in his defense, and it would seem that the accusations against Landis are the result of some severe gross negligence on the part of the lab.

But enough about his book, time to get to Landis himself. While I was reading his book I thought Landis sounded very cocky and arrogant and I had no idea what to expect when I met him. And, like I said, I had never met anyone as famous as he was.

Friday night arrived and the store was packed long before Landis arrived. What you have to understand is Floyd Landis is from this area. He grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. These people know him, know his family and they are very proud of him. He has become quite the hometown hero. And of course everyone here considers him the true winner of the 2006 Tour de France. So naturally it seemed like half the county had shown up to support Landis and get his book signed.

As I said before I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I found was that Landis was no where near as arrogant as he sounded in his book. He was very honest, open and friendly and he even seemed a little embarrassed to have so many people turn out to meet him. If I hadn’t already decided I believed his side of the story I certainly would have after meeting him because he just does not seem like the kind of guy who would be willing to cheat to win. I don’t think he would want to have anything that he did not work hard to earn.

The evening went by fairly quickly. Landis signed autographs for about three hours. I even got my copy signed (I returned the one I borrowed and just bought a copy). His publicist told us afterward that this was the biggest turnout they’ve had so far (according to the newspaper there were over 500 people there), which is no surprise considering this was his home before he went pro.

After all this I’ve decided I’ll have to follow this year’s Tour, since I now have a better idea what is going on, and I’m really fascinated by all the teamwork that goes into winning the race.

“I’m proud of myself for winning the 2006 Tour de France and proud of the way I did it. If something is worth fighting for, then I’m going to fight, no matter what. Give me a week of bad days like Stage 16 – a month of them – and I will not give up. Once I put my mind to something, I see it through to the end, no matter how hard things get and no matter how long it takes. I am not going to quit, and I am not going away.” (from Positively False)

Now, does that sound like the attitude of a man who is guilty? I don’t think so.

Friendship, Loyalty, Love and Redemption in The Kite Runner

Over the last couple of months I've had many customers and co-workers telling me that I had to read The Kite Runner, so I finally took their advice and read the book while I was on tour with Shining Light last week. I'm really glad I did because I think this is one of the best modern fiction novels I've read in a long time.

The Kite Runner is the first novel written by Khaled Hosseini, but you would never know it as you're reading the book. Hosseini's writing style draws you in and keeps you hooked until the last page. The story is powerful and haunting and amazingly well-written. I was hooked after reading the very first paragraph:

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years."

If that paragraph doesn't draw you in and make you want to read the rest of the story to find out what the narrator is talking about then I don't know what will.

The story opens in Afghanistan in the late sixties and tells the story of Amir, a young boy growing up in Kabul and his friendship with Hassan, the son of his family's servant. We then follow Amir through his life, the ups and downs, including what happened in that alleyway and how it impacted the rest of his life. It also discusses the Russian occupation of Afghanistan and Afghanistan under the oppressive Taliban control. This book shows us an Afghanistan many Americans are not aware of; we meet the proud people who have suffered, not the terrorists and bin Ladens that most Americans now associate with Afghanistan. This is a very real and human portrait of Afghanistan and it's people.

I won't tell you that this book is easy to read. On the contrary, there are some portions of it that are extremely difficult to read, but it's those portions of the book that make the overall story so powerful and moving. Hosseini's style of writing makes the difficult parts all the more raw and haunting. This isn't a book that you can just set down and walk away from, you'll be thinking about it until you're finished reading, and even after.

Last week while I was reading the book a friend of mine kept asking me what why I liked the book so much and what could I possibly gain from reading it. At the time I was just amused by his arguments, but I've been thinking about it a lot since I got home and finally figured out how I would respond. I think what appealed to me most about this book was that, while it's a beautifully told story of Afghanistan and it's people, it's themes are universal. This is a story of friendship, loyalty, love and in the end, redemption. I also loved that Hosseini's writing style is very straightforward and honest, which lended well to the overall tone of the novel.

I would highly reccommend this book to anyone, whether or not you're interested in modern history or current events. The events in Afghanistan are only the backdrop for this story. This is really a story about the people, not the country.

Good Ole Southern Rock

I'm here to tell you about a little band whom few people have heard of, called DecembeRadio. Many of you probably haven't heard of them because their exposure has been limited to mostly Christian music fans, but I promise you, if you haven't heard these guys you are truly missing out on one of the greater bands in the country.

DecembeRadio hails from the small town of Dublin in Pulaski County, Virginia. Actually, only two of the members were born there - Josh Reedy (lead vocals/bass guitar) and Brian Bunn (lead guitar). Eric Miker (backing vocals/rhythm guitar) comes from West Virginia and Boone Daughdrill (drums) was born in Mississippi. As you can see these are all southern boys and they have the accents and manners to prove it.

The band members cite a wide range of influences, from Lenny Kravitz to Aerosmith, but their music has a definite southern rock feel, which is evident in their first single, "Love Found Me." If you're lucky enough to see the band perform live, you'll be treated a melody of this song blended with their own rendition of the Kansas hit, "Carry On Wayward Son." I was beyond excited the first time I heard this.

"Drifter," their second single, became a top 10 hit on Christian radio. This song has become one of my all-time favorite songs. Their self-titled debut album earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Rock/Rap Album and they recently won a Dove Award for Best Rock Album. (In case you're not familiar with the Christian music industry, a Dove Award is the most prestigious award a Christian artist can recieve, next to a Grammy. It's a lot like the CMAs or AMAs.)

I was pleasantly surprised the first time I listened to DecembeRadio's album and discovered that I liked every track on the CD, which is a rare occasion. It has a good combination of up-beat rock, and slower more thoughtful tunes. It's a great album to listen to while driving with the windows down on a warm summer day. The guys are currently working on material for their sophomore album, which will hopefully be out by next spring.

If you have ever watched the series "Hazard Pay" on the Discovery Channel you may have already heard DecembeRadio without even knowing it. Their song "Dangerous" was used as the theme song for the series. They also performed the National Anthem at a NASCAR race last April, and will be performing for the Hollywood premiere of Evan Almighty next week.

Not only is their music great, but these are also four of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. They're always willing to meet and talk with fans after a show, even though quite often they have a long drive ahead of them that night (they're a fairly new band, so they still have to drive themselves and their equipment around in a van and trailer). They really are a lot of fun.

So if you get the chance, check out their album; if you're a rock fan I really don't think you'll regret it. You can visit their MySpace page to hear some of their music and read more about them.

Flip Flops, Kerouac and Green Tea Frapuccinos

I love summer. The warm weather, walking barefoot through the back yard. There are so many wonderful things about summer. This is the time of year when I always start planning my summer reading list. It's kind of a tradition. Ever since high school I've always picked out what I wanted to read during the summer, when I wasn't being forced to read books I wasn't interested in. These books tend to be longer, more difficult reading than what I would normally read during the year (past examples include the Odyssey and last summer I read the Iliad).

Today I decided it was time to comprise this summer's list. Even though it's my day off I spent over an hour at Barnes & Noble looking through the books and deciding what to buy. During this time I learned that putting me in a bookstore where I get a 30% discount with my 2006 Income Tax Rebate sitting in the bank is a very bad combination. If it wasn't for that 30% I would have spent well over $100 in books today. For anyone who has a B&N nearby (or a Starbucks) I highly recommend the the Green Tea Frapuccinos. They are amazing and a perfect summer refreshment, no lie.

The result? Here's this summer's list so far (some of these I already have, or still plan on buying. I didn't buy them all today). If anyone has any suggestions feel free to leave them! Here's my list so far in no particular order:

- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
- Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
- Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (Book 3 of the Dresden files)
- Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Book 4 of the Dresden files)
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Nevermore by Keith R.A. Candido (a Supernatural novel)
- Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy by Lindsay Moran
- The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum
- Ireland by Frank Delaney (I actually started this a year ago and still haven't finished it, I've been distracted by other books)

If that doesn't prove that I have an eclectic taste in reading material I don't know what will. I also plan on re-reading The Order of the Phoenix and The Half Blood Prince before the movie comes out. And since I work at a bookstore I am sure I will discover more books before the summer is over. And I'm sure you'll all have the privilege of reading my thoughts on each of these books as I finish them.

Now, on a completely unrelated note I just had to share this anecdote with you. This morning, as I was paying bills and deciding how much money I could safely spend on my shopping spree my dog Shelby decided she wanted to go outside. Of course I was busy so I ignored her as long as I could. Finally, after a lot of wandering around she came over sat down next to me and barked once. It was only then, as I looked down at her, I noticed my flip-flops, which had been laying several feet away, had suddenly appeared by my feet. Shelby may be stubborn, but she's no idiot. I just wish she acted that smart all the time, not just when she wanted to.

And with that, I'm off to start dinner and decide which book on my list I'm going to start reading first.

Beginner's Luck

Some of you may ask, why on earth start yet another blog? Don't you already have one? or two or three ...

Yes, all this is true. I do have several blogs, but most of them I rarely use anymore (Xanga was so high school...). I love my TV Guide blog, but I wanted a place where I could share all my thoughts, not just on TV but on literature and music and other things as well. So while I'll keep that one for posting about TV, I'll use this one for posting about anything (and everything) else. And I'm sure there'll be the occasional TV post here as well. After all, I just can't stop talking about my favorite TV shows.

So here I am. Now I'm sure some of you may laugh at the title (especially those who know me well) but some day I may become a famous writer/columnist and this is the title I plan on using for that column. That is, if I ever get around to submitting columns for publication.

Anway, this post was mainly just to see how this thing worked. I'll be back later with my first real post.