ARC, Books

Book 257: Hunger Gays – Nathan Alexander

I’m not sure what I expected with this book, but it wasn’t what I got. When I requested a copy of this book from the publisher I expected a fun parody of The Hunger Games, but ultimately it wasn’t. This is my honest opinion and I received nothing in return.

Let’s start with the good. There is a lot of potential in this writer, the ideas and the story adaptation are there, it’s the translation to the page that needs work. The story is a basic copy of The Hunger Games but it’s solely men entered into the tournament and rather than just killing for survival there has to be some sort of erotic act as well. I think the best thing about this novel, by far, is the name of the government drag queen: Lady Mary Posa.

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Books, Quotes

Book 256: Inferno (Robert Langdon #4) – Dan Brown

This is the fourth book in the Robert Langdon series and Brown’s sixth novel. As with the others, this is exactly what it sets out to be: a page turning action and adventure novel that although not a literary wonder Inferno does make you wonder about major societal and environmental issues. The entire story takes place in less than 24 hours with flashbacks to two days before.

The only other Robert Langdon novel I’ve read since starting this blog is the third installment The Lost Symbol. I’ve read all of Brown’s books and enjoy them for what they are and don’t judge them harshly like it seems most people do. I remember reading The Da Vinci Code the summer between high school and college and immediately going out to find copies of Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress and Deception Point. (Call it my hipster moment, but I read it BEFORE it took off.)

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Culture Corner

Culture Corner – February 2014

As promised I have a lot to talk about this month and I’m still excited about next month’s culture corner knowing what’s coming! This past month has been a busy month culturally speaking from an awesome winery tour and tasting to another theater production and a book talk to a sing-a-long movie I did so much. So onward!

2014 01-24 Hairspray @ Wheelock Family Theatre

To start the month off (not really), but culturally speaking, I went to the Wheelock Family Theatre production of Hairspray and it was fantastic! I usually go opening night as I work for the school and get free/discounted tickets. From the opening number to the closing the entire show kept the audience (me) completely engaged. Even though I felt that Jenna Lea Scott did a great job as Tracy Turnblad, I felt that Jennifer Beth Glick, as Penny Pingleton upstaged her and everyone else in the production. From the way she chewed her gum to the interactions with Seaweed I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she is one of those actors that acts the entire time they’re on stage even when they’re in the background (similar to Celie from The Color Purple in last month’s Culture Corner).

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2014 Challenges, Books

Book 255: The French Lieutenant’s Woman – John Fowles

So I finally got around to reading The French Lieutenant’s Woman. I won this book as part of Robert’s blogoversary give away almost two years ago back in August of 2012. And all I have to say is shame on me for waiting this long to read it. Not only am I ashamed because it was such a wonderful book, but I am ashamed because it inspired one of my favorite posts of 101 Books of all time: 101 Books Guide to Carrying an Embarrassing Book in Public.

I’d love to say that Fowles’ mentioning of Jane Austen didn’t sway me, but of course it did a little, but overall that was minuscule compared to the mastery Fowles showed in this novel and he mentioned Austen and her works MULTIPLE times! But it wasn’t this that made the book so great, it was the omniscient unidentified narrator and the breaking of the fourth wall (I guess it’s called that in reading as well).

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Updates

January 2014 Recap

In case you missed it, I got back on track with Workout Wednesday AND Culture Corner this month and I cannot wait to talk about next month’s Culture Corner or even March’s (since I already know what’s coming)! If you follow me on Instagram you’ll get hints ahead of time because I Instagram most of the pictures for the square quality 🙂 Now on to recapping January!

As I’m writing this I’ve realized that without challenges to recap these posts are going to be much less structured and more random, but that could be a good thing. So to start with some NON book fun:

2014 01-27 Crafternoon = Starting a New Scarf!The last weekend of the month, my friend Caroline, her fiance, Nick, and I had a crafternoon while we watched the film adaptation of Amistad for our book group. (Caroline and I crocheted while Nick hilariously made a hemp anklet/bracelet.)

Now don’t get your expectations up too much, I haven’t crocheted anything since I finished my big scarf back in November or the scarf I made for my friend Peter, and I’m just doing the same stitch again, but I’m excited. This scarf will be Carolina blue and white and will have long vertical stripes rather than short horizontal stripes. Don’t worry there will be an after picture and maybe after this scarf I will get more adventurous, but no promises 🙂

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