Urban Legends

Urban Legends
By Richard Roeper
1564144186

Urban legends are always fun to read, even moreso when the author admits they are urban legends. Roeper is a very amusing writer, this is a fun light read if you're looking for something to smile or laugh over.

7/10

Schlock Value

Schlock Value
By Richard Roeper
1401307698

Very funny look at Hollywood! Roeper covers a bunch of topics about actors, actresses, movies, awards shows. His style is so fast and breezy that the book takes no time at all to read. I laughed out loud a few times, he's very entertaining. I think he had many more points to make though, maybe they should have given him more pages!

7/10

Birthright

Birthright
By Nora Roberts
0515137111

Good story, intricate and detailed. I love the academic focus that Ms. Roberts seems to like, even though this one is not art history! Her characters, as always, have the best lines and comebacks. And the mystery was compelling, full of twists that made sense after they happened. The romance wasn't too fast, as I think they normally are, since the characters were married before the book begins.

9/10

The Gods of Newport

The Gods of Newport
By John Jakes
142811582X (book on CD)

The narrator's voice on this one was very annoying. He was too over-dramatic and you could hear every time he took a deep breath. Very loud. The book was good though. Nothing spectacular about the book or the characters. Some parts that I felt were honestly just there for the shock value, as they didn't add much to the characters. You could see the ending a long way off, star-crossed lovers is not a new story. But it was well-written and you felt transported to Newport during some of the race scenes.
8/10

The Ultimate Family Movie Guide...

The Ultimate Family Movie Guide, TV Guide Movie Reviews, Volume 2

Much closer on the ratings than Volume 3 was!! Read my review for Volume 3, most of the same stuff applies!

8/10

Book Illumination in the Middle Ages

Book Illumination in the Middle Ages
By Otto Pacht
1872501761

Didn't help me for my thesis, but still a good book. The author knows everything about this topic, but doesn't talk down to the reader. He makes the topic accesible and interesting, while teaching a great deal about it. Great overview of the subject, with great pictures.

9/10

Pygmalion

Pygmalion
By George Bernard Shaw
0486282228

I'm not sure I ever realized how short this play is! And I had forgotten, having seen the movie so long ago (Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady), how many good lines there are. "In America they haven't used it for years" being my favorite. It was especially interesting to read after the play though, what happens in their world after the play ends, after we leave them.

8/10

Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hunchback of Notre Dame
By Victor Hugo

How in the world did Disney make a kids movie out of this novel? I've never seen the movie but my goodness! I'll bet they had to change the ending. As always, I'm wary of talking too much about a classic book, there's been so much written about them already. I loved the idea of architecture vs. writing, a very intriguing concept. As I understood it, architecture declined as the literacy rate rose. There was no reason to say things twice and books will reach more people. I liked that idea and it seems to make sense as to why architecture is not as big of a deal anymore, why you don't see huge churchs or anything else really going up and being massively decorated.

8/10

Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons
By Dan Brown
(book on CD)

Wow. What a convoluted story. Now, after Da Vinci Code I wasn't expecting great literature. But I was at least expecting it to make sense! The times never seemed to line up (and I'm sure they did line up, because Dan Brown is a meticulous writer and wouldn't leave something like that to chance or whim) but the point is that it *seemed* like it was off. Some of the stunts were downright ridiculous (the bookcases crashing into the glass? What?) and there were way too many instances where a character would think something like "and he knew he was seeing the sun for the last time" only to NOT DIE! Which means he didn't "know" it, he simply "believed" or "thought" it and then was proved wrong. Once or twice is fine, but that sort of thing happened at least once a chapter. And then the poor girl, whose name I can't even remember, has no time to mourn her loss, even at the end! I won't say too much, wouldn't want to spoil the ending.

6/10

31 Days of Prayer

31 Days of Prayer
By Ruth and Darren Myers
1576738744

Not much of these really applied to me. They were very basic. I would have enjoyed this book more in my first or second year of being a Christian. But it is sometimes nice to go back to the basics, so this was a good book in that respect!
7/10

Strong of Body, Brave and Noble

Strong of Body, Brave and Noble: Chivalry and Society in Medieval France
By Constance Brittain Bouchard
0801485487

Well written and interesting. Will be some help with my thesis, I believe.
8/10