And the Winner Is....

The girls and I watch Project Runway every Wednesday evening. It's one of our favorites; we love Tim Gunn, Heidi and the judges, and of course, those crazy designers. But something funny has occurred this year as we've watched; Christian, who's "kind of a big deal", has somehow morphed into our favorite, going from most irritating to most entertaining as the season has progressed. I'm now rooting for this guy to win!

Young and arrogant, Christian began by annoying the hell out of me and probably everyone else he came in contact with. And what is up with that hairstyle? As time has gone on, though, it became clear that the man's got talent, even through the designs I didn't care for. That denim outfit last week? Not something I'd normally like, but I have to admit that he did a terrific job creating an iconic outfit from Levi's jeans. Plus his on-screen antics are hysterical! You never know what's coming from him, and that's half the fun. Why didn't he just slap that silly teen a couple of episodes back? You KNOW he wanted to, and I have to say that at the beginning of the season, he just might have. Dare I say he's matured a bit? Possibly.

One of the things we love about Christian is his gifted way of saying things. So far, we've adopted three of his phrases and use them on a regular basis: "Ferosh!", "I'm not feeling fierce today", and "I'm going to die from barfyness". The man's got a way with words. And who doesn't love watching him spin and twirl as he admires his own work?

My favorite was Kevin (why on earth does one bad design = goodbye for him, and Ricky and Sweet P are stilllllll there?), but I am firmly planted in Christian's CAMP now. While Chris M. is charming and funny (and don't you think of Laurel and Hardy when seeing him with Christian?), I'm hoping the judges will see Christian's talent and at least let him make it to Bryant Park. It's a treat watching him and yeah, he IS kind of a big deal.

~taminator40

A Twisted Review

Laurie Halse Anderson (whom I met a few years ago) is a gifted storyteller. Having read some of her earlier works, I was excited to get to Twisted, her newest novel of teen angst. Sometimes you get let down by a favorite author, especially when he or she has had a run of extremely well-written books that have engaged you well. Thankfully, Twisted lived up to its hype, so I can continue to believe that everything Ms. Anderson writes is going to be excellent.

I read this one in one day; the chapters are short and there's never a lag. Ms. Anderson captures the life of high school really well; my biggest gripe is the lack of ending, which keeps it from getting my highest rating. I've reviewed it at amazon at http://tinyurl.com/2hubwn. I hope you'll read my full review. I can recommend this one to everyone who loves young adult fiction.

~taminator40

Abby Cooper Psychic Eye Review

I finished the first book on my tbr_challenge list last night: Abby Cooper Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie. It's a fun, cozy mystery with a psychic intuitive as the lead character. I love Laurie's writing: she makes the words flow and her characters are always realistic, even when doing psychic readings, lol. I can definitely recommend this one to those who enjoy cozy mysteries, and particularly those with a paranormal twist.
My amazon review can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/ytdkrp. I tend to give little short "reviewlets" on this page, but my amazon reviews are certainly more in-depth and a tad more flowery. Check it out if you are so inclined!

~taminator40

Garden Spells Review

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is a delightful first novel that captured me from the first pages. Rife with magical realism, the characters in this book spring off the pages immediately. The four Waverley women--Claire, Sydney, Evanelle, and Bay--have to come to terms with themselves and their special gifts, and it's not an easy process at all. Told with humor and depth, this is a gem of a novel! I'm thoroughly enchanted. You can find my full review at http://tinyurl.com/2sh5bk. Definitely a keeper!

~taminator40

The Parting

Somewhere along the line, I've found myself rather addicted to Beverly Lewis's tales set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While they are definitely inspirational in tone, I can usually push that aspect aside as I read because she does do a great job bringing the Amish to life, and her characters are always genuine and credible. While there were things I had a problem with in her newest novel, The Parting, I can still say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I wish she wasn't quite so preachy at times; I'd much rather she incorporate some of the more inspirational lines a little less dramatically. But overall, I'm still going to be reading about these people whose culture is so foreign to me. You can find my review at

http://tinyurl.com/2ry7ak.

~taminator40

An 800+ Page Book Finished...#1 for the Year!

I finished my first book of 2008 last night: The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. It's the third in the trilogy that began with A Great and Terrible Beauty. At 800+ pages, I feel pretty good for finishing it within a week.

This was a fitting ending to the trilogy, even if there were some abrupt changes and odd actions on the part of the main character. I liked that it wasn't necessarily a happy ending, but the possibilities remain for Gemma, the heroine. I think Bray did a good job of bringing her stories to fruition, and leading us on some strange twists and turns along the way.

My Amazon review can be found at http://tinyurl.com/yqonru. I hope you'll take a look.

Next up, in my year of reading what I want, is The Parting by Beverly Lewis. I enjoy her books even if they do tend to become preachy as the series go on.

~taminator40

A New YA Challenge

Because I read so much children's lit/YA literature, when I heard through my online buddy Les that there was a YA challenge for 2008, I went searching for it. I'm glad to say I found it, and have signed myself up. I haven't created a list yet but I intend to study Mt. TBR (the YA version) and get to some of these books which have been patiently awaiting their turns. Making the list will be half the fun! If you're interested, the link is found at http://thoughtsofjoyblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/sweet-and-simple-choose-12-young-adult.html.

~taminator40