Word Addict

A Change of Plans – Sort Of…

missdazzled — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:06:27 +0000

Hello one and all. I know it’s been, well, a very long time since I’ve posted anything here. But after some thinking, I’ve decided to focus on book reviews. However, this doesn’t mean I won’t talk about other things – just that I’ll be talking about books most of the time. Be sure to be on the look-out for my next review. I’m in the middle of reading Hush Hush so when I finish, I’ll tell you what I think of it here.

Movie Review: “The Searchers”

missdazzled — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:01:02 +0000

It’s odd: I’ve never really be interested in Western films. Yet after staying up late one night, I came across this movie that was originally released in 1956. Starring John Wayne, The Searchers focuses on Ethan Edwards (Wayne), who goes on a five year search for his niece after a group of Comanches kidnaps her & massacres his entire faimly. At times, it made me wish that I could take a longer look at the scenery; it’s absolutely gorgeous. John Wayne acts superbly as does the rest of the cast. The action sequences are well done, not to mention the light touches of comedy here and there. Whether you’re a die hard John Wayne/western fanatic or just want to see what the fuss is all about, give The Searchers a go.

Excuse Me While My Inner Fangirl Squeals With Joy :)

missdazzled — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:48:25 +0000

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who thought the Twilight reference in a scene from this week’s episode (shown on Wendesday) of Criminal Minds was funny, not to mention a big shout-out to the fans. It looks like Reid isn’t too keen on pop culture XD

Anyway, check out the clip below.

Since I’m in a Twilight mood, here’s the latest trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which comes out in theaters next Friday (Nov. 20).

Movie Review: “Orphan”

missdazzled — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:54:02 +0000

I can easily sum up this movie in one word: creepy.

I had heard a lot about this movie before I saw it in theatres (as of now, it’s available on DVD). The critics will tell you that this is a ‘psychological thriller’, but don’t believe that for a second. Let’s just say that it’s earned it’s R-rating, although it’s nowhere near as gory as, say, the Saw series.

So the plot goes like this: a woman – who is also a recovering alcoholic – and her husband lose their child while she is pregnant. Though they already have two children (a young girl who is deaf and a eleven year old boy), the couple decides to adopt. After doing some research, they visit a Catholic orphanage; it is here that they meet Esther, a talented yet somewhat strange nine year old girl. When I first saw her on screen, I could already hear The Addams Family theme song playing in my head. After strange occurances happen, the mother suspects there is far more to Esther than meets the eye.

I won’t go any further as to spoil the plot. I have to say that Isabelle Fuhrman (Esther) easily steals the show. There are quite a bit of scary moments & the plot twist near the end will either surprise you or make you wonder whether Warner Brothers should have gone in a different direction. Either way, give this a rental and see it for yourself.

Going Back To “Wuthering Heights” For a Moment…

missdazzled — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:44:06 +0000

There’s another question about – as if the title didn’t give it away, heh – Wuthering Heights that comes to mind.

But first, I’d like to tell you guys that there was a radio play version of this book back in the 1940s or so – and yes, it’s free. Just click here and scroll down until you see Wuthering Heights.

Now to the question at hand.
This time it focuses on the film/television versions. I looked around on Amazon and good grief! I had no idea that there were so many versions of it, the earliest being the 1939 version. I’m going to read the book of course but I’d like to know: what is the best film version of Wuthering Heights?

Book Review: “The Ancient Child”

missdazzled — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:11:37 +0000

Let me start this off with a pop quiz:

What do Native American legends, a curse, and a woman who has strange fantasies about Billy The Kid have in common?

If your answer is “How should I know?”, you’re absolutely right. Of course, I didn’t know either of these things were going to be in The Ancient Child by N. Scott Momaday.

The main thing that threw me off about this book was the awkwardness of its storytelling. Some of its chapters were only one page, while others were on topics that had nothing to do with the story.

Remember when I mentioned the woman with those Billy The Kid fantasies? That takes up a number of chapters, as do three chapters about the main protagonist Set talking about how he seduced three women – again, what on earth it has to do with the story? To make matters worse, the plot itself finally comes back into focus near the end of the book. It’s almost as if the author had a solid idea, suddenly decided to branch off into a completely different one, then remembered to return back to the story at hand.

From the amount of reasearch I have done, it seems that many people who have read the book have loved it. Perhaps there is something I’m missing, but if there is a message of any sort, I for one don’t see it. This is no insult to those who are fans of the author, but I simply can’t find anything to like about The Ancient Child.

Book Review: “Be Still My Vampire Heart”

missdazzled — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:38:10 +0000

People who know me may easily assume that because I’m a huge fan of
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer I would love any and all vampire books. Well, I’m here to state that it’s simply not the case
(especialy with The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause, which had a pretty good story but – no pun intended – a sucky ending).

So I was curious when I went to the library a while back and found a copy of Be Still My Vampire Heart by Kerrelyn Sparks. I have to admit it’s a bit strange for me since I normally steer clear of romance novels. In my opinion, many follow the same cookie-cutter formula.

It wasn’t until I looked up the author online that I discovered that this book was actually the third in a series; still, it didn’t deter me from reading and was surprisingly easy to get into. The novel focuses on Emma Wallace, a woman who deeply hates vampires since said creatures killed her parents years ago. Because of this, she ventures out on her own and kills them; however, Katya Miniskaya – the leader of a vampire coven – has announced that she will declare war if one more is found dead. Angus MacKay, a vampire himself, is sent out to stop the slayer, though he never expects to be discover that the slayer is a woman. Love soon blossoms between the two and – well, I don’t want to spoil too much.

If you’re an avid romantic novel fanatic who’s looking for some steamy & explicit love scenes, don’t expect a lot of them. There are only about two scenes or so, but the plot is so engaging and funny that it’ll be all too easy to let that slide. Whether your an avid vampire fan like myself or just want a good romantic novel, this is one you’ll want to get into.

Understanding A Classic – Some Help Please?

missdazzled — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:44:50 +0000

Lately, I’ve been reading a bit of Wuthering Heights. Unlike most fans of this novel, I never had to read this in while I was in school. It wasn’t until I read the Twilight Saga that I had even heard of this book. Being curious and doing some research (mostly about whether the book was worth my time), I finally found & bought a copy of the book.

Now to the point: I would like to know of any resources that can help me understand this book. Right now I’m at the begining of chapter four, but I’m thinking of starting over in order to help me understand it better. If anyone has a suggestion, please feel free to leave a comment.

Something Interesting…

missdazzled — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:54:57 +0000

If you’ve ever wished you could listen to old time radio (radio shows from the 1930s to the 1950s), here’s your chance! I came across Old Radio World a few days ago. They have quite a selectoin of radio shows – all 100% free.

I’ve been listening to them quite alot & I have to admit that the Sherlock Holmes ones are my favorites Even if you’ve never listened to old time radio, give this site a try. You may just surprise yourself.

Hello World!

missdazzled — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:28:30 +0000

I just wanted to take this first post to say “hi” to everyone in the blogging world.

Anyway, I’m mainly going to post movie reviews, book reviews, music reviews, or whatever is on my mind. You may agree with what I have to say – or type rather ^_^; On the other hand, you might dissagree, but that’s the beauty of it all.

With that in mind, welcome to my world