Well, it's a week to give thanks and presents! So who was the winner of the lovely signed edition of Thumb Flagging? Drum-roll please! They'd love to go to 7-11 on the concrete diva.... so let's hear it for.... Callie!
Thank you all for entering, and even if you didn't win, I hope you pick up this great read for the holidays, or any time really! Have a wonderful week and a Merry Christmas!
Now to Letty's better half... or is that the other way around? Geoff has to brood about it a bit and be conflicted as to what's good for him. Maybe he'll write a poem...
Name: Jamie Bamber
Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe
First Impression: Daniel Deronda, I think... or it could have been Hornblower, I was watching both around the same time, and he's cute and little in both, one looking more like a goat with the little beard. Plus in both he's eclipsed by either Hugh or Ioan, so you don't notice him so much at first.
Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: He's so good at doing hot and tormented, just look at his portrayal of Apollo on BSG!
Lasting Impression: Battlestar Galactica made me stop referring to him as Archie, such a funny name, yet with such a tragic end... Funnily enough I remember I was pissed I had to go to Chicago in the middle of watching his final episode so I had to wait two days to find out what happened!
What else you've seen them in: From starting out as minor or supporting characters in a slew of BBC miniseries from Lady Audley's Secret to Poirot to Daniel Deronda to Hornblower, when he was cast as Lee Adama in Battlestar Galactica he acquired a major fan following. Just try to find his early pictures in a google search! You mainly find his naked Peta shoot or the towel scene from BSG... you all know the one!
Can't believe it's them: Scarlet Pimpernel! Full posterior shot, who knew it would start a trend? Plus the episode after his untimely death has a young James Callis, aka Baltar from BSG.
Wish they hadn't: Gone fat for Battlestar... ok, ok, it was makeup, but hard to shake the image. In all seriousness... Cold Case, so tacky to go from big series regular to guest star on bad Sunday night procedural in the same week, tied with Lady Audeley's Secret, which was beyond boring, but wait, he was also on Ghost Whisperer... gosh, too many to choose from. Jamie, stop doing lame cameos, unless it's a Joss Whedon show and he wants you to fight Helo.
Bio: Lets hope he keeps doing great television, currently a regular on the British version of Law & Order, he really needs another ensemble show to shine... or perhaps it's time for him to step up to leading man... I know many who would follow Captain Apollo... it has such a nice ring to it.
We now move onto the third book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. A lovely Irish air is blowing through as Letty and Geoff are off on their unexpected honeymoon in The Deception of the Emerald Ring. Now if I might say, I think this might be my best casting of the films that play in my head, I'd like to say a cinema near you, but it's my head... when I was reading this, both Geoff and Letty instantly sprang into my mind as these actors. And doesn't our actress look lovely in green? A very Irish color at that. Now onto Letty being portrayed in my cranium by...
Name: Bryce Dallas Howard
Dream Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Letty Alsworthy
First Impression: The Village, which she did a really good job in, despite how easy it was to figure out what was going on.
Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Did you see her in As You Like It?!? Pitch perfect British accent, plus, the hair, the smile... Letty all the way!
Lasting Impression: The Village... because the PR for this film would not let you forget her name! But that's as a person, for as an actress... As You Like It.
What else you've seen them in: Aside from her roles in M. Night Shyamalan movies, you'll probably recognize her from two of the biggest film franchises where her installments was sadly lacking, notably Terminator and Spider-Man. But these big blockbuster movies that are synonymous with the name Howard don't do her the justice she deserves, just watch As You Like It, and you'll see what I'm saying.
Can't believe it's them: She was a Who in Whoville! Not surprising seeing as her dad directed it.
Wish they hadn't: Victoria in the Twilight Saga's Eclipse. I'm sad cause she's back in a blockbuster and now she's going to always and forevermore be associated with this franchise, but more sad in that they've recast the role. I hate hate hate recasting. Just, studios, STOP IT! I don't care that she's a better actress or a bigger name, you've f'd up the continuity and for me that's the biggest sin of all.
Bio: To quote an old Eddie Murphy sketch: "Opie had sex!?!" Yes, she is Opie's child. Enough said.
The countdown till the end of time starts... one week to go, so lets see what the Doctor was up to in the meantime. In the third, and by far strongest season of The Sarah Jane Adventures, we get a lot of heartbreak and a little bit of doctoring. The second season saw Maria leaving us and Rani joining the cast. While at first I wasn't sure how I'd react, more because of my love of Maria's dad Alan, than any attachment I had to Maria, I have to say, with this season Rani proved herself. Also, now that K-9 is a regular... perfect! Almost any show can be improved by a tin dog! So now onto the overall breakdown of the season by episode.
Prisoner of the Judoon: Perfectly showcases the downfall of Sarah Jane... it's a show made up of all the left over bites of Doctor Who and Torchwood. Of course the Judoon were awesome on Doctor Who, but making a random one run around and then grounding the three kids from space travel... lame. Plus the whole Sarah Jane possession and then Rani's parents almost finding out made this a really stupid opening episode.
The Mad Woman in the Attic: Heartrending tale about the possible what ifs in Rani's life. If only this was the season premiere. It deals heavily with the secrets that Sarah Jane has the kids keep and how sometimes they need to tell someone. Plus it's nice having not really evil aliens every once in awhile. Also a scary abandoned fair ground is always good.
The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith: They got Nigel Havers to be the coolest finance, and oh the twist is awesome. Even if it weren't for The Doctor, this would have been a great episode. Of course, I am getting sick of the stock Sarah Jane villain, The Trickster... but what can you do, at least he's original to this show! Also notice the place where the wedding is? By chance it's where Rhys and Gwen got married on Torchwood... see what I said about reusing the same places!
The Eternity Trap: Best episode of this season. It's a scary ghost story AND an alien story in one. Plus we've seen Professor Rivers before... love continuity. I did have a fit that for no reason they though pictures of The Cavaliers were possible... cause photography has been around since the 1600s in Russell T. Davies' world. Also for other sci-fi freaks... the main ghost, that's Zod from Smallville, aka Callum Blue!
Mona's Lisa's Revenge: Interesting theory about art sharing paint and what else that might entail. Also I was worried about how this would tie in with the previous Whovian Mona Lisa Tale (City of Death) but it's ok, it would work. Though what is up with Mona's accent?!? It's like bad horrid cockney of the worst sort. Did they think it was funny?
The Gift: The Slytheen are back... again...sure they have another name, but I'm totally bored with them. The mini one is still totally cute in a bite your hand off sort of way, but other than that... What is cool though is they were voiced by Simon Callow and Miriam Margolyes! Also learning that Mr. Smith hates K-9, priceless.
Overall a strong third season which will hopefully lead to a forth series pickup. The beginning and the ending were a little lack luster, but the middle episodes where worthy of The Doctor himself. Also a random aside, the little intro to each episode... get ride of it... when Clyde looks at the audience, it makes me want to hunt him down and hurt him.
Sure it looks like there's not going to be a Christmas Special this year... but at least we have this awesome video to tide us over till January. I don't think this quite tops the Ebony and Ivory of last season (watch here, they disabled embed), or Ken Marino's version... but it's close!
So, my blog is all about the embracing of new technologies and the melding of old and new. How else could you really categorize the internet plus the bookworld other than the two coming together in a wonderful new form. Which is also in essence what a Kindle is, the written word, but written by electronic ink. So in an effort to be more inclusive in my blogging I have decided to make my blog available to Kindle users! How cool is that? No really, cause I think it's amazingly awesomely cool and am very tempted to pay the small amount of money to read my own blog on my own Kindle... kind of insane non? Plus you can try my blog free for 14 days! So head on over to Amazon to see the awesomeness for yourself, and if you subscribe I get twelve cents! (Literally... that isn't a joke. Stop laughing! That's a hard earned dime and two pennies that is!) I'm hoping to crack that Kindle reading none overly tech savvy market of maybe five people! Also you might notice that big white box with a little bit of orange on the left hand side of my blog. It's for networked blogs... meaning you can follow me on facebook! But really, it's me being lazy, because instead of me having to go to all that effort of 20 seconds linking my blog to my status on facebook, it does it for me! So go, enjoy the internet... I'm not far away!
What kind of fan (technically fanatic) would I be without mentioning that today is Jane Austen's birthday! That's right, if Jane were alive today, she'd be 234 years old, making her most likely some sort of undead being, so she might actually get a kick out of those horrid parodies. But here's to Jane! Six of the greatest books ever written. Too few I say... but what can one do? So sit back, watch a few adaptations, ponder Mr. Darcy in a wet shirt and enjoy! Also if you're in New York, be sure to go to The Morgan Library, where they are celebrating Jane through March. You could actually see her signature without having to venture to Chawton! Oh, exciting!
Also, in some happy Jane Austen/Lauren Willig news, Lauren had an exciting announcment on her site today! If you follow her you might have caught on that she's been doing some work on a book centering on Turnip Fitzhugh and Jane Austen... well, today being an auspicious day in the Austen calender she announced:
"Since today is Miss Jane Austen’s 234th birthday (happy birthday, Miss Austen!), it seemed an appropriate time to make my grand announcement about the next book. All this past summer, I’ve been secretly working away on a special project: a book set in Bath in Christmas of 1803, featuring Jane Austen, Turnip Fitzhugh, and a lot of Christmas pudding. The Christmas Book, as I’ve been calling it, has a name now: The Mischief of the Mistletoe.
The book is loosely– very loosely!– based on the plot of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, The Watsons, which was written around that time. Little did Austen scholars realize that my heroine, Miss Arabella Dempsey, was the inspiration for Austen’s incomplete work! I’ve been having a grand time with Austen’s books and letters, as well as skulking around the Austen exhibit at the Morgan, which couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s one thing to read a transcription of Austen’s extant letters, quite another thing to actually see them.
The Mischief of the Mistletoe will appear on shelves in October of 2010, a few months before Pink VII (nope, no title for that one yet– I may need to appeal to you all for flowery aid sometime soon). I’ll be posting more about the book soon, as well as a special opportunity to read a few advance chapters…. "
I just can not wait! TWO new Lauren Willig books this year! Just heaven!
Flight of the Phoenix: Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist Book 1 by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: September 16th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Nathaniel Fludd's parents have disappeared. Presumed dead, his parents' lawyer summon him and Miss Lumpton to his office. A tidy sum makes Miss Lumpton disappear as well. Nathaniel is then shuffled off to a relative, a Phil A. Fludd, he's never heard of in Batting-At-The-Flies. The precocious youngster with a penchant for drawing and a feeling of being unwanted and left behind arrives at his destination with a heart full of trepidation. What he finds is beyond his wildest dreams...Phil is actually a she and a Beastologist too boot! Whatever a Beastologist is...but it might have something to do with the fact Cornelius, her pet, happens to be a talking Dodo. Aunt Phil says come morning she's off to do her Beastological work so Nate should get to bed nice and early. Nate shuffles off to bed knowing that he'll be left behind again, but this time with a crotchety Dodo and Miss Lumpton's suitcase full of letters and underwear...leave it to Nate to get the wrong suitcase. But come morning he realizes that he is to go with Aunt Phil, which fills him equally with joy and dread.
They hope aboard her little plane and off they go to Arabia, to see the birth of a Phoenix, the first in 500 years! Along the way Nate learns that his family is world renowned for being great adventurers, from map makers to Beastologists, they are without equal. The exploration bug bit the family hundreds of years ago when Sir Mungo Fludd had eight sons he sent to seek out every corner of the globe. Seven sons returned to Sir Mungo and the great family tome, The Geographica, A Map of the World was completed. The final son? They speak not of him...But Phil is worried that Nate was left behind, he should have started his training years ago...coupled with the fact that his parents never wrote (unheard of in a Fludd) and the fact that the book was lost with them is all very suspicious...But there are more immediate concerns. A gremlin is in the plane's gearbox and once they get to Arabia the Bedouin's take umbrage to Phil's presence and take her off to their camp, leaving Nate and his new friend, the Gremlin Greasle to rebirth this Phoenix and then free Aunt Phil, all without being discovered. And if that isn't enough, could the letters in Miss Lumpton's suitcase be the missing Fludd correspondence? And who was that mysterious red head who tried to steal the Fludd Book of Beasts? Could he be a descendant of the eighth son bent on revenge?
I picked up this book because I just adore R. L. LaFevers' Theodosia books. Nathaniel Fludd has a similar air of adventure and exploration akin to The Young Indiana Jones that is prevalent with Theodosia. But whereas Theodosia has the feel of the British Empire and a more Victorian Egypt obsessed society, you really feel the march of progress and the setting of this book being right after The Great War. It's an interesting clash of old and new. How the old ways of cartographers and explorers is giving way to the age of flight and steel and oil. But for this brief period both magic and technology exist side by side. I personally am in love with this trend in young adult and children's fiction wherein we have this distinct time period, be in World War I or Victorian times and then a little bit of magic is overlaid. Just addictive! I felt though this book was too short. Being written for younger readers this is a fairly short and quick read, so for those adult readers out there you will be desperate for the next volume. With all the foreshadowing and unanswered questions, you think you might know what will happen next, but you really need Robin to write it out for us. I really feel this is a great start to a cute new series, which I know I won't love as much as Theo...but it engenders the same feelings!
I also have to just say how beautifully this book is made. R. L. LaFevers must have one hell of a following (me among them) that Houghton Mifflin is willing to go the extra mile to make these books so...I don't really know how to say this...but you just want to admire them for hours and love how they look on your bookshelves. The Theodosia books have amazing cover and interior art, but couple that with the antique map of London under the dustjacket and the slightly deckled edging...heirloom books here. Nathaniel Fludd isn't an exception. The dustjacket is wonderfully done. That feel off an olde tyme journal with the pencil and the feather. But it's the drawing of the belt clasp that makes it just that extra bit special. The endpapers are a magnificent map of the journey in the book with the dotted line, just like Indiana Jones. At first the interior drawing style seemed a bit cartoonish, when compared with the finish of the cover, but I grew to like it. It's as if this were Nathaniel's own sketchbook. Kelly Murphy did a wonderful job and made me stop comparing her to Yoko Tanaka in the end.
