Book Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide - The Ultimate Reading Lists

The Story

Great reads for busy people.
This is a guide to help busy people find great reads in fiction and non-fiction. Filled with recommendations of popular, entertaining reading, this book covers mystery and suspense, romance, women’s fiction and chick lit, westerns, science fiction, such nonfiction topics as animals, art, biography, memoirs, business, true crime, and more. Plus, each entry includes a summary of the book, its significance, and a critique/observation/comment. – amazon.com



The Deal

Consider this the “Top Ten Books About_________(fill in the blank). Really. The authors have chosen their lists of books that represent the best of a number of categories, including fiction and nonfiction and every sub category in between imaginable. Just like any awards show or ranking of best of all time series, you will find yourself going, “I cannot believe that is on there (or NOT on there).”
However, in these 320 pages you will also find many ideas for that next great read.

The Bottom Line

My wife is a fanatical reader. She took this book from me and got a lot of ideas on books to check out from this selection. Really she should be the one writing this, but, as is life. It is a solid MUST HAVE for anyone that owns more books than DVDs and is always thinking about what to read next. It should be available at every library at the entrance.


The Quote
“Best Fiction in Horror (that involves cats).”

Death Is My Co-Pilot

HARRY POTTER IN THE HOOD

Kitty Fight

Is this what I think it is?

The Back - up

Friday Fun Flick-

Once again, it's funny because it's real.

Cootie Legos

300 :cats

Book Review: "Aliens: Omnibus" Volume 1 - Dark Horse Comics

Aliens: Omnibus Volume 1

The Story:

Dark Horse Comics took the industry by storm with its release of Aliens, a comics series that for the first time captured the power of film source material and expanded its universe in a way that fans applauded worldwide. Now, the first three Dark Horse Aliens series - Outbreak, Nightmare Asylum and Female War - are collected in a value-priced, quality-format omnibus, featuring nearly 400 story pages in full color. Written by screen and television scribe Mark Verheiden (The Mask, Battlestar Gallactica) and illustrated with consummate skill by Mark A. Nelson, Den Beauvais and Sam Kieth, Aliens Omnibus Volume 1 is an essential piece of the Aliens mythos and a great entry point into the storied Dark Horse Aliens library. – amazon.com

The Deal:

These 384 pages will grab hold of your attention like the true sequel to the second movie “Aliens” should have. This 3-story alternative to the “Aliens 3” movie, tells the continuing story of Ripley, Wilks, and Rebecca (Newt). Of course the aliens are back also, in many different ways and mankind must fight them on Earth, in space, and on the alien homeworld. We also see the return of the other aliens. The gigantic elephant-nosed ones from the first movie who piloted the spaceship that crashed and was full of eggs.

The Bottom Line:

You cannot go wrong buying this trade paperback. So it is a BUY. This is a must for any fan of the series or fan of dark comics. The artwork is stunning and the storyline is top notch. You would have to have a crate of comics to hold the entire story in this one book and it stores a lot easier.

The Quote:

“This time, you nuke the site from orbit. But let me guess, you aren’t going to listen to me, are you? You people never learn.” - Ripley

DVD Review of "Rise: Blood Hunter"

Rise: Blood Hunter

The Story:

Reporter Sadie Blake (Lucy Liu) awakens to find herself in a morgue, transformed into a member of the undead by a vampire cult. With the help of cop Clyde Rawlins (Michael Chiklis), who lost his daughter to the same sect, Sadie undertakes a mission of revenge against those who took away her life. Carla Gugino and James D'Arcy co-star in this supernatural thriller. Marilyn Manson appears, without makeup, as a bartender.

The Deal:

This movie really does an interesting spin on the vampire story. The vampires here drink blood, but have no fangs. They must use knives like everyone else. They can only be killed by driving an object through the heart – metal counts. Also, they cast no reflection. That’s is for pros. Sunlight is merely an inconvenience. Oh and finally, they have no powers. They get their butt kicked by every Tom, Dick, and Harry, just like everyone else. In Fact the heroine gets beat down constantly in the two hours run time.

Half the movie is told in flashback sequence, which at first was kind of annoying. Think “Memento: a vampire story”. However it did pay off in the end. In fact, if the director had not been creative with the editing, then the story would have been terrible.

The Bottom Line:

This is a decent RENT. The stars in this movie do a great job with the material. There is also enough T&A in here to make it worth your while. Lucy Liu naked, covered in blood- I know there is a fansite for this somewhere… The DVD however, lacks special features other than director’s commentary. There is a making of featurette, which is not very long and was sort of an after thought of camcorder footage around the set. If you are going to make a direct to DVD movie, why not pack it with DVD extras?!

The Quote:

“Go wash your hands. I am kind of picky about that sort of thing.” Lucy Liu to her female hooker date…

What's wrong Billy?