http://arwz.com/arwzblog/ en Copyright 2011 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:10:17 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2ysb5-20051201 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Violet Kane I recently finished the most recent Sookie Stackhouse book, Dead Reckoning, and I've been debating whether it's worth writing a review. I've written a couple Sookie Stackhouse book reviews before (Dead in the Family, All Together Dead and so I think my general feelings of affection for this series of books is well known and had not changed with the reading of this latest book. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/10/dead_reckoning_by_charlaine_ha.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/10/dead_reckoning_by_charlaine_ha.php REVIEWS Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:10:17 -0500 S.K. Slevinski I suppose the most accurate thing I can say about Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker is that I didn't hate it. Further, I can credit it with keeping my attention. So many enormous epic fantasy audiobooks get returned to the library before I finish reading them (which did happen here) and never get re-ordered (this one actually did).]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/06/warbreaker_by_brandon_sanderso.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/06/warbreaker_by_brandon_sanderso.php REVIEWS Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:21:23 -0500 S.K. Slevinski Famed for his canonical novel, Neuromancer, William Gibson is among the few classic SFF authors still producing regularly today. His latest novel, Zero History, echos my experience with some of his other recent works, including Pattern Recognition and Spook Country. Which is to say, I like it... sort of. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/02/zero_history_by_william_gibson.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/02/zero_history_by_william_gibson.php REVIEWS Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:23:53 -0500 Violet Kane Moonlight is one of those phenomena you hear about among cult cadres of SFF fans bemoaning the cancellation of a promising show before its time. I finally got my hands on the DVDs the sole season of Moonlight a few weeks back, and while it's no Firefly, there is some merit to the cult complaints. Still, I think this series is ultimately plagued by the question: "Do we really need another vampire romance?"]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/02/post_1.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/02/post_1.php REVIEWS Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:52:01 -0500 Colin Conway I will say right off that Towers of Midnight is the THIRTEENTH book in the Wheel of Time series, and so anyone not familiar with the series needs to go back to the beginning and read the first twelve books before starting in on this one. It may take you awhile, but believe me, it will be worth it. Once you're caught up to speed on the first twelve books Towers of Midnight will offer you something that you've been waiting for.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/01/towers_of_midnight.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/01/towers_of_midnight.php REVIEWS Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:54:31 -0500 S.K. Slevinski I recently popped in the audiobook version of Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning. I have not read any of the earlier books in the series, and perhaps that is partially where I went wrong, but I frequently start with later books in this type of series (i.e. semi-episodic paranormal romance/thriller) without trouble. After listening to the first two CD's of this audiobook, I found I simply had no motivation to continue.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/01/dreamfever_by_karen_marie_moni.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2011/01/dreamfever_by_karen_marie_moni.php UNFINISHED FICTION Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:34:55 -0500 S.K. Slevinski Better known for his literary fiction in more or less contemporary settings, Michael Chabon is a writer I have often been curious to try, but previously have not had the time or motivation to read. I was excited recently when I happened upon an audio version of Gentlemen of the Road.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/12/gentlemen_of_the_road_by_micha.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/12/gentlemen_of_the_road_by_micha.php REVIEWS Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:39:19 -0500 S.K. Slevinski We are pleased to introduce our newest feature here on ARWZ: Unfinished Fiction. Many of us reviewers here on ARWZ are fiction writers ourselves, and so we know that one of the necessities of good storytelling is to keep the... http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/11/welcome_to_our_new_column.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/11/welcome_to_our_new_column.php UNFINISHED FICTION Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:27:02 -0500 Violet Kane There has always been a certain dichotomy in fans of the Ender series. There are those who favor the books that feature the characters as children, and those who prefer the books detailing the lives of the characters as adults. It seems I meet more of the former than the latter, but whatever camp you fall into, there is no denying that Ender in Exile attempts to fill in the gap between the two with a novel Card terms a "mid-quel."]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/11/ender_in_exile.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/11/ender_in_exile.php REVIEWS Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:48:58 -0500 Violet Kane Lover Avenged is the seventh book in JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It is only the second book of the series that I have read. It may be helpful to know the characters from at least one other book before plunging into this novel, however, like most urban fantasy series, this one is primarily episodic and any astute reader should be able to pick up here without feeling lost.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/10/lover_avenged_by_jr_ward.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/10/lover_avenged_by_jr_ward.php REVIEWS Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:13:29 -0500 Nicole Ford Melting Stones is the latest book by author Tamora Pierce. It’s the story of a young mage named Evy. For those of you who read Pierce, you will remember that Evy’s last appearance was in the Circle Opens book, Street Magic. In which the long time character Briar Moss finds Evy and begins teaching her how to use her magic.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/melting_stones_a_review.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/melting_stones_a_review.php REVIEWS Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:07:02 -0500 Dean Peters An addictive sandbox game with a sci-fi twist, Crackdown 2 picks up where the 2007 original left off. The player controls a genetically modified clone soldier of the shady but powerful Agency, an arm of the government scrambling to maintain its Big Brother-like control of Pacific City. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/crackdown_2_a_brave_not_so_new.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/crackdown_2_a_brave_not_so_new.php REVIEWS Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:25:51 -0500 Dean Peters http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/dean_peters.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/dean_peters.php PROFILES Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:10:37 -0500 Violet Kane Empire suffered, I think, because it was based on a premise that did not originally come from Card's imagination. I believe now that's what was missing, a concept of Card's own creation. Hidden Empire contains just as much of what we can presume are Card's political opinions, but it has the same essence of story and characters that I have come to expect from Card's fiction, and was sorely missing from Empire. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/hidden_empire_by_orson_scott_c.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/09/hidden_empire_by_orson_scott_c.php REVIEWS Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:05:49 -0500 "Trapper" Tom Leturgey Birdemic: Shock and Terror Is Really An Inconvenient Cinematic Catastrophe (In A Good Way). When I first heard about Birdemic: Shock and Terror on CBS Sunday Morning a few months ago, I thought it was great: a Vietnamese immigrant utilizes his own money to make a movie. A bad movie. Birdemic: Shock and Terror is so incredibly poorly created, it is awesome!]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/08/birdemic_shock_and_terror.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/08/birdemic_shock_and_terror.php REVIEWS Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:05:24 -0500 "Trapper" Tom Leturgey http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/08/trapper_tom_leturgey.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/08/trapper_tom_leturgey.php PROFILES Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:33:53 -0500 Violet Kane As a DVD watcher, I'm always seeing programs a bit "after the fact." Usually this delay has little to no effect on my watching or expectations, because most of the shows I watch are not watched by every single one of my Facebook friends. True Blood, however, usually garners a random assortment of status commentary the night or morning after a new episode airs. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/08/true_blood_season_two.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/08/true_blood_season_two.php REVIEWS Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:32:45 -0500 J. Lynes M. Night Shamyalan’s latest outing in the film world abandons his penchant for twist endings and disturbing forays into the paranormal. Instead he tries his hand at a well established franchise with mixed, and mostly bad, results. The Last Airbender follows Aang, a young monk with the ability to control the air, as he avoids the fire nation and learns how to bend or control the other three elements and become the Avatar, the one person capable of reuniting and balancing the worlds. He is accompanied by two villagers of the Water tribe, Katara and Sokka, who discover Aang trapped within ice.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/07/the_last_airbender_book_1_wate.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/07/the_last_airbender_book_1_wate.php REVIEWS Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:43:03 -0500 J. Lynes Joss Lynes is budding videogame artist in Pittsburgh, PA. He was first introduced to science fiction and fantasy at the age of six through the movies Star Wars and Jurassic Park, and started writing short stories and poetry in his... http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/07/joss_lynes.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/07/joss_lynes.php PROFILES Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:40:39 -0500 Violet Kane I'm always excited to get a new Sookie Stackhouse book on audio. In my opinion, there is no better way to experience these books. Johanna Parker is such an engaging audio actress that she brings Sookie and the other characters to life in such an engaging and entertaining way that my own brain simply can't compare when I'm reading print.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/07/dead_in_the_family_by_charlain_1.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/07/dead_in_the_family_by_charlain_1.php REVIEWS Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:52:02 -0500 Andrew Warhol Perhaps MST3K's most famous feature-length endeavor finds these characters discussing "Manos, The Hands Of Fate" which has been oft rated as "The Worst Movie Of All Time." The horror anti-classic features one of the most colossally stupid and irrelevant plots ever to grace the silver screen. A classic American family of man, wife, daughter and dog encounter a small, remote shack, and its caretaker, a bearded man with deformed knees. Any small bit of logic or sense is quickly jettisoned, leaving the viewer in a mire of confusion and mild disgust. Joel and his robot friends, however, make this a much more entertaining viewing experience, with rapid-fire witticisms, critiques, and obscure to semi-obscure references directed at the cast and crew.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/mano.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/mano.php REVIEWS Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:59:13 -0500 Andrew Warhol http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/profile_1.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/profile_1.php PROFILES Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:03:56 -0500 Mia Kovka Since the announcement from Hopkins that she would be writing Tricks I have been extremely excited; the book lived up to all of my excitement. While Identical still remains my favorite, I loved Tricks. Much like Hopkin's other book, Impulse, I feel she has progressed a long way with the multiple points of view poetry novel. Once again, she didn't use much verity of the poetry style (such as making pictures with words), but the use of poetry was very strong and hard to notice. Where as in Impulse, the redundant lack of style was much more noticeable, the storyline and intensity of Tricks makes the reader barely notice. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/post.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/post.php REVIEWS Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:03:48 -0500 Mia Kovka Mia Kovka is a young writer from Pennsylvania. Writing has been a passion for her since the age of ten, when she would write poetry day and night. Then a teacher convinced her to try her hand at writing short... http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/profile.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/profile.php PROFILES Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:43:06 -0500 Violet Kane While this tv show isn't precisely science fiction or fantasy, it occurred to me while watching the end of Season 2 last night that a major part of the appeal of this show is the action, the adventure and the "magic" of its conceptual underpinnings.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/leverage.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/06/leverage.php REVIEWS Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:53:09 -0500 Colin Conway Most people will recognize Terry Goodkind from his Sword of Truth novels, which he published from 1994-2007. In 2009 he released his newest novel, The Law of Nines. Despite the fact that this novel contains none of his familiar characters and is not even set in the same world, readers will be able to recognize clear threads running from his previous novels into his newest book.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/04/the_law_of_nines.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/04/the_law_of_nines.php REVIEWS Thu, 01 Apr 2010 22:29:59 -0500 Trey McGunn With New Moon, everything wrong with its predecessor appears to be fixed. The director was replaced by Chris Weitz (who also directed The Golden Compass, an imperfect but enjoyable film), and the story was treated with expert precision. Oh, and they got rid of that awful blue tint.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/03/the_twilight_saga_new_moon.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/03/the_twilight_saga_new_moon.php REVIEWS Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:02:53 -0500 Violet Kane I finished Renegade's Magic, the final novel of Hobb's Soldier Son trilogy, and I was truly disappointed... not because the ending was less than satisfactory. Quite the contrary, I was disappointed because I knew it was the last book and I would have no more chance to read about these characters and their adventures]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/03/soldier_son_trilogy_by_robin_h.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/03/soldier_son_trilogy_by_robin_h.php REVIEWS Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:05:03 -0500 J. M. Hatala The story elements of Avatar are far from original, whether they know it or not borrowing heavily of a wide range of films from Dances With Wolves to Ferngully. The thing that struck me is not only is this a story we’ve seen before, this is a story we’ve seen before from James Cameron, with echoes of Aliens, Titanic, and the Abyss thrown in for good measure. Still, even though I never wondered what would happen next, I found myself wrought with emotion at all the right times, and cheering for the victory of our heroes. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/03/review_james_camerons_avatar.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/03/review_james_camerons_avatar.php REVIEWS Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:09:43 -0500 S.K. Slevinski In many ways this book is a novelty for people who read Armstrong's series regularly. It stems from a pre-climactic plot point in the previous Otherworld book (which I read after Haunted) in which deceased witch Eve Levine bargains with the fates to gets the main characters of that book returned to life after accidentally falling into a portal to the afterlife in pursuit of the bad guy. Now, Eve owes the fates a favor, and they are calling it in to have her track down a particularly pesky Nix who has escaped from a hell dimension]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/02/haunted_by_kelley_armstrong.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/02/haunted_by_kelley_armstrong.php REVIEWS Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:41:51 -0500 Trevor Read inFamous casts players in the role of protagonist Cole McGrath, a newly-minted superhero (or villain, your choice) who gains awesome electrical powers after unwittingly detonating a pulse bomb that wreaks havoc throughout his home, Empire City.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/02/infamous_ps3.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/02/infamous_ps3.php REVIEWS Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:58:02 -0500 Colin Conway CoverI approached this book with some small amount of trepidation. On the one hand, The Wheel of Time series is nearing its conclusion and this book had the possibility of answering a lot of questions which have been plaguing me and other readers for the past few novels. On the other hand, this is the first book in the series to be written since the death of the original author Robert Jordan.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/02/the_gathering_storm.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/02/the_gathering_storm.php REVIEWS Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:40:25 -0500 Trey McGunn On December 21, 2012, the world as we know it is going to end. Based on the ancient Mayan calendar, this "real world" doomsday prophecy is picking up a lot of exposure lately as the date slowly creeps up on us. The movie 2012 uses this date has an excuse to make the ultimate disaster film.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/01/2012.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/01/2012.php REVIEWS Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:14:11 -0500 J. M. Hatala Coming about two years too late to be an absolute knock-off of Zack Snyder's box-office hit "300," but just early enough to capitalize on any renewed interest in mythology-based storytelling (see March's "Clash of the Titans" remake), the Starz network's most ambitious original project to date, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," looks to fill a void on television. http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/01/spartacus_blood_and_sand.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/01/spartacus_blood_and_sand.php REVIEWS Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:24:58 -0500 Trey McGunn For those who remember (or the generation like me who caught the reruns), the original V was a miniseries in the early 80’s that involved aliens coming to earth making all kinds of promises, but turned out to be attempting a take-over. This turn of events prompted a group of regular folk to band together and rebel against their pseudo alien overlords.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/01/v_the_series_premier.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2010/01/v_the_series_premier.php REVIEWS Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0500 Andrea Johnson I admit that I haven't read a ghost story in a really long time. This really too bad, because a good creepy psychological thriller/ ghost story is worth it's weight in gold. Joe Schreiber's No Doors, No Windows is one of those thrillers. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/12/joe_schreibers_no_doors_no_win.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/12/joe_schreibers_no_doors_no_win.php READ RINSE REPEAT Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:58:03 -0500 Andrea Johnson Was at the library the other day, trolling the new releases, and The Art of the Heist leapt off the shelf and into my hands. Its by a dude named Myles Connor, who recently got out of prison. for stealing stuff. like Rembrant paintings. no kidding. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/12/a_good_heist.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/12/a_good_heist.php READ RINSE REPEAT Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:22:31 -0500 Trey McGunn A Haunting In Connecticut is about, surprisingly, a haunting… in Connecticut. Unfortunately for us, this movie took its job too literally and forgot that it was supposed to be a scary film… in Connecticut.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/a_haunting_in_connecticut.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/a_haunting_in_connecticut.php REVIEWS Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:44:26 -0500 Andrea Johnson the book has maps in the front. I loves me a good map. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/soulless_but_very_witty.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/soulless_but_very_witty.php READ RINSE REPEAT Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:40:38 -0500 Andrea Johnson I finally finished Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, and I'm happy to add it to the “Books I want to read again the moment I finish them” list. For an Eco, it's surprisingly readable, and layered in such a way that readers of any interest level will get a lot out of it. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/umberto_ecos_the_name_of_the_r.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/umberto_ecos_the_name_of_the_r.php READ RINSE REPEAT Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:31:24 -0500 Andrea Johnson Sandman Slim isn't so much a novel as it is a revenge genre graphic novel with no pictures – plenty of action, violence, some flirtation, and not much else. A bastard child ofThe Crow, Constantine, Spawn and Sin City, it's all the grit and action of a first person shooter adventure video game, with a less intelligent script. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/review_of_kadreys_sandman_slim.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/11/review_of_kadreys_sandman_slim.php READ RINSE REPEAT Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:40:12 -0500 J. M. Hatala It seems like the hot thing to do these days after your series goes off the air is actually to put out a reunion movie before your fanbase forgets you existed. The latest is a look back at Battlestar Galactia, the critically acclaimed SyFy reimagining of the 1980s epic most would rather forget. Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is written by Jane Espenson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and directed by series star Edward James Olmos.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/review_battlestar_galactica_th.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/review_battlestar_galactica_th.php REVIEWS Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:27:29 -0500 Andrea Johnson Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose is both eminently readable and subtly satirecle, two of my favorite things. Even funnier, I just watched the “Monk” episode of Terry Jones's Medieval Lives, and while watching it I could say “those people are in my book!” it was delicious nerdy fun that even Yomiko Readman would be proud of. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/when_did_autumn_get_here.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/when_did_autumn_get_here.php READ RINSE REPEAT Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:16:42 -0500 Nicole Ford The first season of Syfy's most popular series to date, Warehouse 13, ended with, well, a bang. IIt was really more like an earth shattering explosion, and I mean that both in the physical sense because the last episode did end with a bomb going off, and in the metaphorical sense, because it also ended in some unexpected, and heartbreaking betrayal.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/warehouse_13_1.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/warehouse_13_1.php REVIEWS Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:40:22 -0500 J. M. Hatala The premise, if you're unfamiliar with either the original short story or 1984 adaptation starring Linda Hamilton (Terminator), finds a couple on a road trip who, through circumstances beyond their control, wander through the remote Nebraskan town of Gatlin, where the religiously zealot children have purged themselves of adults and started their own society. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/review_children_of_the_corn_20.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/review_children_of_the_corn_20.php REVIEWS Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:03:26 -0500 Trevor Read STAR WARS: The Force Unleashed doesn't mince words: its marquee appeal is right in the title. TFU is a game built around the idea of letting players wield devastating Force powers—an idea that it gets mostly right. The Force mechanic isn't without its hiccups; but luckily, there's more to the game than the title suggests.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/star_wars_the_force_unleashed_xb360.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/star_wars_the_force_unleashed_xb360.php REVIEWS Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:14:05 -0500 Trish Bodack In Trueblood, The Complete First Season, this HBO original series sets Vampires cohabiting with humans in the small country town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Vampires come out of the closet thanks to the creation of Tru Blood, a synthetic concoction, which allows Vampires to live without killing humans for sustenance.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/trueblood_the_complete_first_s.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/trueblood_the_complete_first_s.php REVIEWS Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:29:35 -0500 Colin Conway I was in sixth grade when I picked up my first fantasy novel. It was David Eddings' Pawn of Prophecy and it opened my eyes to the fantasy literature at my fingertips. Since then I have moved on to different books and authors, but I always remembered David Eddings as the author who opened my eyes to the genre. When I heard that he had died recently I resolved to read his final series entitled The Dreamers. I got home with the first book in the series, The Elder Gods, and dove into this whole new world.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/the_elder_gods_by_david_edding.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/the_elder_gods_by_david_edding.php REVIEWS Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:15:33 -0500 J. M. Hatala The series finales of your favorite television programs tend to leave a strange taste in your mouth. That taste is often both an appetite for still more adventures with your favorite clan of characters, plus the ill-inducing sensation that what just transpired wasn't as satisfying as you anticipated. The finale of Ron Moore's re-imagined Battlestar Galactica this spring left neither. Viewers, myself included, seemed for the most part, satisfied. The finale did leave us something—an onslaught of trailers promising more.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/caprica.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/10/caprica.php REVIEWS Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:28:01 -0500 Trey McGunn Pan's Labyrinth is a multi-layered story that is more than the sum of its parts. There are three story threads running through this movie. The first is about Ofelia, a young girl who travels with her very pregnant (and very sick) mother to live with her evil step-father out in the country. After arriving she meets some magical forest creatures who tell her that she is the long lost princess to a magical kingdom... ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/09/pans_labyrinth.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/09/pans_labyrinth.php REVIEWS Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:47:33 -0500 Andrea Johnson Quicksilver isn't so much a novel as it is a discussion and an observation. If all my history of math (which I hope to re-read this winter) and history of science had a plot line, they would read like Quicksilver. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/09/a_few_more_thoughts_on_stephen.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/09/a_few_more_thoughts_on_stephen.php READ RINSE REPEAT Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:08:53 -0500 Andrea Johnson I'm finding in my old age, that fun is a requirement while reading for pleasure. Call me unliterary, call me immature, call me uneducated, just so long as you call me. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/09/i_require_fun_books.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/09/i_require_fun_books.php READ RINSE REPEAT Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:21:32 -0500 Alexander Louis Going into the recent Terminator film, I wasn't expecting much. The first two Terminator films were James Cameron masterpieces in the sci-fi and action genres, and the 3rd film wasn't bad either. Was Salvation going to going to screw up this franchise or actually be an entertaining addition to the Terminator mythos? Well, in my opinion, Salvation does save itself; it was a pretty damn good flick.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/08/terminator_salvation_does_it_s.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/08/terminator_salvation_does_it_s.php REVIEWS Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:52:39 -0500 Andrea Johnson t's been near a month since I posted, and that's just plain sad. what could have caused this you might ask? a mixture of weather that's so beautiful i couldn't bear to sit inside, weather so hot and disgusting my braid couldn't do anything but attempt to stay cool, a growing video game addiction, an overwhelming pile of library books, and a bit of burn out. http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/08/missing_in_action.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/08/missing_in_action.php READ RINSE REPEAT Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:05:14 -0500 Nicole Ford Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, was all in all, a fine movie, with a few issues. One of the issues, however, was not the story line.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/08/transformers_revenge_of_the_fa.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/08/transformers_revenge_of_the_fa.php REVIEWS Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:49:39 -0500 Andrea Johnson Although not everything I have to say about this book is positive, Tim Pratt's The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl is a really cute and fun book to read. Brimming with funky, punky, couragous characters, it won't strain your brain, but sometimes that can be a good thing. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/review_the_strange_adventures.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/review_the_strange_adventures.php REVIEWS Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:02:06 -0500 Andrea Johnson It was bound to happen eventually. I knew i couldn't live in book bliss forever. I knew one day the other shoe was going to drop. Ladies and Gentlemen, it's happened. I have discovered the true meaning of the phrase "I got too many books from the library". ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/i_knew_it_would_happen_sooner.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/i_knew_it_would_happen_sooner.php READ RINSE REPEAT Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:30:14 -0500 Sabrina Spiher Robinson A heady combination I faced indeed when I borrowed Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Three DVD box set from my friend Dave recently—nostalgia, geeky excitement, even some trepidation. It had only been perhaps a few years since I'd seen a TNG episode, but it had been ages since I'd seen a block of episodes in order, and perhaps there had never been a time when I'd endeavored to watch such a collection with a critical eye to its totality: I think I'd always been too distracted by my yearning, daughterly affection for Captain Picard, my inexpressible (but well-understood by other dorks) joy at knowing a vast quantity of detail about something internally coherent but utterly unimportant, my perhaps too-revealing crush on Lt. Commander Data.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/star_trek_the_next_generation.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/star_trek_the_next_generation.php EDITORIAL Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:21:19 -0500 Andrea Johnson What cracked me up was I was reading Wolfe's slow paced Shadow & Claw at the same time that i was reading Joe Haldeman's The Accidental Time Machine, which is nothing but fast paced action. Wow do those two books not go together! Was very jarring to go back and forth! is my own fault, as i tend to be reading more than one fiction book at a time.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/joe_haldeman_gene_wolfe_and_ai.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/joe_haldeman_gene_wolfe_and_ai.php READ RINSE REPEAT Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:17:38 -0500 Andrea Johnson With a feeling of historical novels and hero quest fantasy, Wolfe is giving the reader a vision of distant future. Urth and her people are dessicated and dim, and the sun is cooling in her last days. Dripping in adventure, sex, sword fights, coming-of-age, and destiny, Shadow & Claw is swimming in religious parable, symbolism, and hero mythology. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/shadow_claw_by_gene_wolfe.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/shadow_claw_by_gene_wolfe.php REVIEWS Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:52:04 -0500 Lisa Schussler I must thank Dark Arts Books for recognizing the significance of short stories. From this recognition springs an anthology featuring four authors whose diverse tales allow us to peek into their mould-encrusted minds, sail through their cavernous labyrinths, and drop us back into the safety of our sofa cushions.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/like_a_chinese_tattoobill_bree.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/07/like_a_chinese_tattoobill_bree.php REVIEWS Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:49:41 -0500 Zachariah Hebert Stephen King, I've come to realize over the years, is a bit of an acquired taste. Now, this isn't to say that he doesn't deserve his place in the elite of his generation's canon of popular literature, but there are some kinks that may rub readers the wrong way. King has, on occasion, called himself a "hack" and, while he may not be one the world's greatest writers, he is one of its best storytellers which, for my part, goes a hell of a lot farther...]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/just_after_sunset_by_stephen_k.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/just_after_sunset_by_stephen_k.php REVIEWS Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:59:43 -0500 Nicole Ford Anyone interested in young adult fantasy will recognize the name Tamora Pierce. She is well known for her many series featuring strong willed female characters, wrapped in worlds of magic of all kinds, a world where fantastic creatures often roam. The stories are known for their great story telling, and the imagination and care put into the design of the magics that are used. And Pierce's new series, Beka Cooper, is no exception. With the introduction of this new character in Terrier, it promises to live up to the expectations her other work sets... ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/terrier_the_legend_of_beka_coo.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/terrier_the_legend_of_beka_coo.php REVIEWS Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:17:07 -0500 Andrea Johnson Is this turning into a summer of re-reads, again? Perhaps. I was in a bit of a book blah, where nothing was keeping my attention. The English Patient? Beautiful, haunting, heart breaking, but too depressing to read when I've been in such a good mood lately. Perdido Street Station? Also beautiful, haunting, and a little heartbreaking, but too drug trippy. Dan Brown's Angels & Demons? Eh, I recently saw the movie so I know what happens at the end. What to read on a hot summer's day? Gaiman? Manga?]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/american_gods_some_rereads_loo.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/american_gods_some_rereads_loo.php READ RINSE REPEAT Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:55:21 -0500 Shelly Bollman They say never judge a book by its cover, however in this case judge away! The attractive cover art for Gail Z. Martin’s The Summoner is dark and ominous. It was the final push that sent me into her realm of magic and betrayal... ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/the_summoner_by_gail_z_martin.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/the_summoner_by_gail_z_martin.php REVIEWS Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:59:19 -0500 Andrea Johnson The librarians are probably wondering what happened to me, this weekend i renewed books from one library online, and returned some others after hours at their drop box. I'll have to stop in sometime during the week, just for kicks. Here's what made it from the "out of control to be read pile" to the "finished reading, or am reading right now pile": Iron Council, by China Mieville Sackett's Land, by Louis L'Amour Artificial Light by James Greer Unintended Consequences of Constitutional Amendments, edited by David E. Kyvig American Gods, by Neil Gaiman ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/catching_up_on_booktalk_louis.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/catching_up_on_booktalk_louis.php READ RINSE REPEAT Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:30:19 -0500 Andrea Johnson Similar to some of China Mieville's other novels, Iron Council has a bit of a rough start. First we meet Cutter and his crew of rebels who are leaving the metropolis New Crobuzon. The city is embroiled in a war with neighboring Tesh, and there is obviously more going on than the governments of both countries are letting on. Two factions in New Crobuzon work towards their goal: One faction believes in a coup, and then there is Cutter's faction, who believes the Iron Council is their only hope. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/review_iron_council_by_china_m.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/review_iron_council_by_china_m.php REVIEWS Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:26:47 -0500 Andrea Johnson Shortly after my recent post about how weird I thought Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road, I finished it, and let it percolate through my brain for a few days. It took about a week, but now that i've read the book and thought about it, it's weaknesses have mostly drained away, leaving the wonderful, if bittersweet end. Review to be posted soon. And maybe I just have a thing for stories about girls who dress up as boys to save the world. Oops, did I just spoil the story for you? ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/finishing_chabon_and_some_love.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/finishing_chabon_and_some_love.php READ RINSE REPEAT Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:22:21 -0500 Mervi Hämäläinen I’ve always liked McKillip’s writing style and this book is no exception. It’s lyrical tale about a wizard woman, her adopted son, mythical beasts, and how hard it is to live in the human world... ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/patricia_mckillip_the_forgotte.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/patricia_mckillip_the_forgotte.php REVIEWS Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:00:22 -0500 Andrea Johnson Gentlemen of the Road. in the afterword written by Chabon, he jokingly says the working title of the book was "Jews with Swords". Jokingly indeed. ]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/michael_chabon_and_some_comics.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/michael_chabon_and_some_comics.php READ RINSE REPEAT Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:20:20 -0500 Andrea Johnson http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/welcome_to_read_rinse_repeat.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/welcome_to_read_rinse_repeat.php READ RINSE REPEAT Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0500 Doug Gogerty I have finally and with much trepidation, watched the 2008 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Being a fan of the 1951 original, I was not looking forward to the remake. Nonetheless, I watched it. I can whole heartily say that it was not very good.]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/the_day_the_earth_stood_still.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/the_day_the_earth_stood_still.php REVIEWS Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:00:00 -0500 S.K. Slevinski I just finished watching Season 2 of The Tudors, and my only complaint is that it was not as deliciously fabulous as I expected it to be... but what kind of a complaint is that, right? Honestly, it was a bit more engaging and faster paced than Season 1, though not quite the compulsive guilty pleasure I had hoped for...]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/the_tudors_season_2.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/06/the_tudors_season_2.php REVIEWS Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:07:54 -0500 Violet Kane One of my favorite books that I read in the past year was Joe Haldeman's Accidental Time Machine. Your first guess about this book is probably correct—that you'd be in for a time travel tale. Haldeman, however, takes an SF standard that can sometimes amount to a tired old story, and with his wit and story-telling sensibilities, turns it into an engaging read with novelty, humanity and classic science fiction spirit...]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/05/the_accidental_time_machine_by_joe_haldeman.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/05/the_accidental_time_machine_by_joe_haldeman.php REVIEWS Fri, 29 May 2009 16:01:38 -0500 Violet Kane As book buzz goes, Stephenie Meyer has earned quite a sizable amount. Buzz always catches my attention, at the very least, but Meyer's books to this point have been young adult, which always has an adverse reaction on my desire to read. The Host, however, is her first published foray into adult fiction, so I jumped at the opportunity...]]> http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/05/test_entry.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2009/05/test_entry.php REVIEWS Thu, 21 May 2009 14:55:51 -0500 S.K. Slevinski http://arwz.com/blog1/2000/01/violet_kane.php http://arwz.com/blog1/2000/01/violet_kane.php PROFILES Sat, 01 Jan 2000 15:25:34 -0500