BOOK: A Mortal Curiosity

A Mortal Curiosity
by Ann Granger

I enjoyed this sequel to the The Companion, a Lizzy Martin mystery set in Victorian England.  It's a compelling and clever story that kept me guessing.  Like the first book in the series, the characters take turns narrating (mostly Lizzy and the detective with whom she is romantically involved), which I find annoying in some books, but it mostly works here. 

It's a murder mystery so there is necessarily some violence that occurs but it's not graphic (mostly implied), but nothing else that might be offensive.

Recommended for:  Adults

FILM: Limitless

Limitless (PG-13)
starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish

This was a fun thriller, and actually quite thought provoking at the same time.  It is the kind of film that you keep thinking about for days afterward, prompting discussions.  The story line is pretty fascinating and it's very entertaining.  There are plenty of plot holes I'm sure, but it's pretty easy to suspend your disbelief and just enjoy it. 


I watched this on Netflix streaming so I couldn't use ClearPlay, though that would have been preferable.  There was some language, but I believe the rating comes mostly from some sexual content (nothing explicit) and some disturbing/frightening parts, though they are relatively mild.

Recommended for Adults

FILM: Super 8

Super 8 (PG-13)

starring Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, and no one else I have ever heard of

My husband described it as "a scary version of E.T."  I think that sums it up pretty well.  There is some exceptional acting from several of the kids, but too much crude language from their mouths (I don't care if it's "real"... I don't want to hear it.... I should have used ClearPlay).  The story line is pretty predictable but it's still fun..... and quite scary.  Not a great film, but entertaining.  Best viewed edited for language.

Recommended for:  ages 14-20, preferably edited

BOOKS: (Maisie Dobbs Novels) An Incomplete Revenge AND Among the Mad

An Incomplete Revenge (A Maisie Dobbs Novel) (Book 5)
Among the Mad (A Maisie Dobbs Novel) (Book 6)
by Jacqueline Winspear


I frequently rave about the Maisie Dobbs Novels.  (Read them in order....the first one is called Maisie Dobbs: A Novel.)  The writing is excellent... descriptive and well-crafted.  The characters are wonderful and well-developed.  And the stories will suck you in.  This can be a problem because I absolutely cannot put these books down!  Beware!  (I admit it....I read these 2 books in two days. Yes, I sort of ignored everything else.  Oops.) 

Maisie Dobbs is not your average detective.... the psychology angle is fascinating, and her personal development and relationships add great depth to the stories.  I love that these books are also basically clean.... there is no sex, but you will find an occasional mild profanity.  There are sometimes murders to solve, but generally nothing descriptive or gruesome.  The stories are very intense though, so these books are definitely not for kids or teens.

(The complete series)

TV MINI-SERIES: Sherlock (Masterpiece Mystery)

Sherlock, Series 1 (2010)
Masterpiece Mystery

When it comes to television, the best of it seems to come from the BBC, especially under the banner of "Masterpiece."  Here is yet another wonderful, but, alas, too short, series based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and updated to present day London.  With clever, witty dialogue and stories that keep you riveted, each episode will leave you anxious to watch the next.  Unfortunately, there are only 3 episodes (though each is about 90 minutes), and the last leaves you utterly surprised, and desperate for more.  Fortunately, three more episodes will air this fall.

It's going to be a long wait.

Since murder is involved, naturally each episode contains some violence, though it's not graphic.  However, overall the subject matter is too mature for children and younger teens.   There is occasional mild language.

BOOK SERIES: Jimmy Fincher Saga (series)

Jimmy Fincher Saga:
A Door in the Woods (Book One)
A Gift of Ice (Book Two)
by James Dashner

My son read these first and loved them (there are 4 books in the series, but I have only read the first two so far) so I bought them for our school library.  The story is compelling and interesting, but the writing isn't great.... in fact, it's rather amateurish.  (I was not surprised when I found out these books were the author's first attempt at writing when he deviated from a career in accounting.)  I think most kids will overlook that for the value of a story that keeps them turning pages.

However, at times I had to force myself to keep reading.  Remember how I said I prefer this kind of story?  Well, these books have a serious lack of character development... it's pure action/adventure without the human experience added to the mix, so I found myself rather bored at times and sort of just "skimming."  But again, I guess I'm not really the intended audience, so maybe that isn't important.

Like I said, these are pure action/adventure, so naturally they contain some violence, though it's very mild and never graphic.  So far there has been no "language" or anything else offensive.

Age Recommendation:  9 and up

(I'm being generous because my son loved the books.)

BOOK: The Host (2008)

The Host
by Stephenie Meyer

During a week at the beach I read The Host by Stephenie Meyer.  It was pretty good.  Not fabulous, but entertaining, and actually pretty thought provoking. I have no idea whether the author intended to include any symbolism, but it was hard not to read those things into it when you know the author's religious beliefs. The story is really about what it means to be human.  I thought the "Twilight" series was just OK (I have other opinions about those books which I won't go into here), but this was much better (her first book for adults).   The story is compelling and it was a good "beach read."  Meyer calls it "Science Fiction for people who hate science fiction," which seems to be pretty accurate.

BOOK: Dive (series)

Dive (series)
by Gordon Korman
Book One:  The Discovery
Book Two:  The Deep
Book Three:  The Danger

I have enjoyed what I have read by Gordon Korman so far, including this series.  It's exciting and well-written.  The narration switches between the main characters, but it isn't distracting.  There are also flashbacks to the 1600's which add to the mystery and enhance the story about four teenagers' adventures during a summer diving internship in the Caribbean.  There are some pretty intense scenes and a bit of violence (not graphic), so I wouldn't recommend this series to younger children.

I do have one criticism.  Considering the reading level and subject matter, I'm surprised that each book is only around 150 pages (in larger type with wide margins), which makes each book appear to be geared more toward lower grades.  I suppose it was a publishing/marketing/sales strategy to make this a 3 book series when it would have made more sense to combine this into one longer novel (which would probably end of being around 300 pages with normal margins and type).  Oh well.

Age recommendation:  10 years and up

FILM: The Ghostwriter (2010)

The Ghostwriter (PG-13)
starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams

Jay and I watched this last night, and I quite enjoyed it.  It's not an action flick, but a classic suspense thriller a la Alfred Hitchcock.  It kept me guessing.  Whether or not you find the ending satisfying or not will depend on how you like movies to end.  I won't say more than that.  :)

The film was well-acted and directed (by Roman Polaski, but he freaks me out.... he is creepy).  Ewan McGregor is always fantastic, and Olivia Williams.... well, let me just say, if I were brunette and English....and famous....I would insist that she be cast as the lead in a movie about my life.  Pierce Brosnan was perfectly cast. 

There is one "bedroom" scene in which you briefly see Ewan's naked bum, but that's where it ends.  The rest is implied.  There are also a couple of incidents of "s***" and the f-word, which I detest, and that's the worst thing about the movie.  There is a scene of violence, but nothing is really shown... just implied, which I appreciate.