'As You Wish'

I love movies.  Especially movies based on books.

I read 'Gone With the Wind' when I was twelve years-old, and I was amazed at how closely the film matched the book (although I still have a beef with the fact that the filmmaker didn't include Scarlett's other children).  Yeah, I love movies.

But as I've grown older, I've found that I absolutely adore 'stupid' comedies.  'Raising Arizona'?  Stupid humor in a brilliant script.  'Fargo'?  Oh, yeah.  Stupid, yet brilliant, also.  Those Coen Brothers really have a most intelligent way of portraying stupid comedy.  Twisted?  Yes.  And brilliant.

But along with the brilliance of stupid comedy comes innocent (yet snarky) comedy, and one of those films I really adore came from a most wonderful book.  'The Princess Bride', written by William Goldman, sucked me in from the first page.  But when the movie showed up years later, I was a bit hesitant to see it. However, once I did, I loved it as much as the book, and I watch the movie a few times every year.  I can't escape it.  It's funny, it's sweet, and it has a fantastic cast.

Brilliantly directed by Rob Reiner, from a script by William Goldman, the movie is one I cherish. I love the humor and innocence, the snarkiness and inside jokes.  There's just something about it that's hard to describe.  Let's just say that if you love 'Monty Python' films, you'll love 'The Princess Bride'.  The humor is contagious, and the cast is unforgettable.

And one of the major cast members has written a wonderful book about this memorable movie.

Cary Elwes, he who played the 'Farmboy' and 'the Man in Black', shares with us many warm memories about working with a perfect cast and a gifted director in his book, 'As You Wish'.

'It truly was as fun to make the movie as it is to watch it, from getting to work on William Goldman's brilliant screenplay to being directed by the inimitable Rob Reiner.  It is not an exaggeration to say that most days on set were exhilarating, from wrestling André the Giant, to the impossibility of playing mostly dead with Billy Crystal cracking jokes above me, to choreographing the Greatest Sword Fight in Modern Times with Mandy Patinkin, to being part of the Kiss That Left All the Others Behind with Robin Wright'.

Yes, the book is sweet.  And, yes, the book gives us quite a bit of inside gossip, but not malicious gossip (God knows I'm really tired of finding malicious gossip all over the internet, so this book was refreshing). Elwes still respects and loves his fellow players, and the 'inside scoops' are rather enlightening.  Although the entire cast didn't work together (i.e., Peter Falk and Fred Savage), they all did a great job of playing off each other.  Director Reiner was sensitive to his players (he has a great acting background, and his father is the phenomenal Carl Reiner), but his greatest coup (in my opinion) was getting his old friend Billy Crystal to play Miracle Max ("While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?") and Carol Kane to play his wife, Valerie.  The memories of André the Giant are very unusual, but funny, and reading of Wallace Shawn's fear of being fired had me thinking that no one else could have played Vizzini with such brilliance.   There are just so many things about this movie that stay with you; almost like the fart scene in 'Blazing Saddles', or anything from 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.

Author Cary Elwes

So, I'm sorry to disappoint those who are looking for 'juicy gossip'.  Most of the cast members include their own remembrances, which I feel is a nice touch.

As for me, I love this sweet memoir of such a sweet film.  It makes me adore Elwes even more.

And I adore Robin Wright even more, too, even if she is currently playing the Bitch Queen of the Universe in 'House of Cards'.

With that written, I think it's time to sit back and watch 'The Princess Bride' one more time.  Knowing what I know now, I think it will make the viewing even that more special.


'As You Wish' is available at your local library and favorite independent bookstore.  ISBN 978-1-4767-6402-3  

'Fairest'

A few years ago, when I was working at our local Borders store, my friend, Heather, strongly suggested that we all read the 'Twilight' series.  "Yeah, yeah," I said. "Someday."  Well, I read them.  And, although I'm not a big vampire fan, I rather enjoyed them, especially 'Eclipse', the third book in the series.  Sure, they were written for young adults.  And, sure, a lot of people have made fun of the series.  But I don't care.  I enjoy reading Young Adult novels, especially the fantasy series.  The Young Adult book world is rapidly expanding to include readers of every age.

And so it goes with 'The Lunar Chronicles', a fantastic series written by Marissa Meyer. As most of you know, I absolutely love all the books and have tirelessly promoted them, even in the thrift shop where I work.  A few people have even asked me to call them if we receive any copies from generous donors.  Sadly, we haven't received any yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

It's not often that I get very excited about a series, but I can't say enough about it. This adult loves Young Adult books.  This adult loves Sci-Fi/Fantasy.  

And this adult loves fairy tales.

'The Lunar Chronicles' is an new look at the fairy tales we know and love, only this series carries a moral lesson that is set in a time and place far ahead of ours.  There's evil. There's good.  There's innocence.  There's not-so-innocent. There are age-old characters with whom we've grown up. And there are characters who are totally new.  But this series looks and feels like pure steampunk.  All of the books tie together, and the end result should be quite amazing.  

The first novel is 'Cinder', a wonderful take on the Cinderella legend.  The next is 'Scarlet', which, as most of us know, is Little Red Riding Hood.  The third is 'Cress', a take on Rapunzel. And the villain of the series is Queen Levana, ruler of the Moon; a woman who has come to power in a most devious way, and wants to control the Earth and everyone on it.  These are all powerful, intelligent women, women who can rescue themselves.

As I read these books, I wanted to know more about Queen Levana; how she became so heartless, what her childhood was like, etc.  Meyer has answered my questions in this marvelous novella:

Long before Queen Levana, ruler of the Moon, crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, she lived a very different story--a story full of heartbreak, sorrow, and deviousness. She was the sister to the Queen, and in love with a man who loved another woman.  But with the use of 'glamour' and lies, Levana obtains everything she wants, yet realizes she really has nothing.

This is a great back story and answers quite a few questions about Levana's childhood.  You feel great pity for her, even while she's taking everything she can get in the most malevolent way possible.

Author Marissa Meyer

Although 'Fairest' is a quick read, it was very enjoyable, and it truly helped flesh out the character of the Queen.

Besides, I've been eagerly waiting for the fourth, and last book, in the series, so this was a nice little tidbit to hold me over until the Fall.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the first three chapters of the new book included after the Acknowledgments page.







'Fairest', a novella in the 'Lunar Chronicles' series written by Marissa Meyer, is available at your local library and favorite independent book store.  ISBN 978-1-250-06055-6  Book four in the series, 'Winter', will be published in the Fall of 2015. 

'Shadow Season'

I've been a Paulo Coehlo fan for a long, long time.  In fact, my most favorite Coehlo book is 'The Alchemist', a tale of finding just what you want/need in your own backyard.

It is a simple tale simply told, and it has affected my life in more ways than one.

I thought that I would never find a story like that ever again, but it's wonderful how I can be proven wrong.

A good friend of mine recently sent a book to me, written by her father, and once I started reading this wonderful, mystical tale, I couldn't put it down. Lara, it's great.  Believe me.

'Shadow Season', written by Sigman Shapiro, is the tale of Coyote, Rabbit, and Tortoise, and how they affect each other, and the lessons they teach and embrace.  Coyote, however, doesn't realize (or refuses to admit) that he's growing older.  He no longer attracts females, and his hunting skills aren't what they used to be.  In other words, he's not the threat he once was.

Wise Tortoise tells his student, Rabbit, that she has a mission to undertake: Follow Coyote, observe him, and help him, for his time seems to be running short.

Coyote is baffled.  Where has his great hunting prowess gone?  Are the small creatures of the scrublands actually laughing at him?  Something seems different.  If he doesn't discover the cause soon, he will lose his status on top of the food chain.  Neither his pride nor his belly will allow that to happen.

On a mission from Tortoise, Rabbit is headed to the far away mesa where her vision quest begins.  It is a magic place; a place no rabbit has ever been, but she is truly no ordinary rabbit.  She sniffs the air one last time and hops off towards to unknown.

Together, this unlikely pair, predator and prey, will confront questions of self worth, courage, passion, mortality, and sacrifice in their quest to defeat the mysterious Shadow Creature.

The threat of aging is a constant to us all, especially those of us who are approaching our 'twilight years' (I hate that term, but there you go...), and I have to admit that this story broke my heart at one pivotal point.  But after the tears dried, I continued following Coyote on his path and grew a bit proud of him when he confronted the Shadow Creature.

And Rabbit.  Oh, what a rabbit.  Strong, brave, cunning, and wise.  A follower and student of Tortoise from a very young age, Rabbit learned to curb her impatience and just listen.  And although she was a bit apprehensive to take on the current task, she knew that someone needed her, and she was ready to be there.

You can laugh at Coyote and his posturing, and the steps he takes to attract a mate.  You can wince when things don't turn out the way they should for him. But a strange thing soon happens:  You find compassion for the old guy.  You discover that Rabbit is a brave teacher.

But the heartbreak....oh, the heartbreak.  

The story flows so well, and the characters are simply, yet eloquently, drawn.  

Each reader will take away different things from this story.  As for me, I learned that it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up and face facts, and it takes even more to realize that the end is closer than we think and not an enemy to be feared.

But with a little compassion and support, it needn't be so hard.  No matter what messages we send to others, it's the lessons we receive in return that can change our own lives.

It's the 'circle of life'.  And you aren't the only hamster on the wheel.


'Shadow Season', written by Sigman Shapiro, and illustrated by Brenda Erickson, is an independent publication.  You can find it on lulu.com.  Book Hog would like to thank the author for the chance to read and review his most marvelous story!

'Sherlock Holmes-The Missing Years: Japan'

Yes, I'm still reading stories written by some friends and their family members, and I'm totally amazed at the raw differences in style.  Mind you, reading a rough draft is rather hard, but it's fantastic to find a few diamonds-in-the-rough.  One of the stories I'm reading is now in book form, and I promise, I really promise, that I'll be writing a review.  I'm taking it slowly.

And then there's an advance copy that I only read at night before I went to sleep.  Yes, it's a mystery.  And, yes, it was good.

And it's a Sherlock Holmes story.  A new one.

The Doyle estate has given its blessing to new Holmes stories, and most aren't really my cup of tea, although I love Laurie King's 'Mary Russell' series (if you're a Holmes fan, read her books).

'Sherlock Holmes-The Missing Years: Japan', written by Vasudev Murthy, was first published by HarperCollins India, and Poisoned Pen Press has re-edited this story for its American audience.  It's thrilling, and (believe it or not) funny.  It's another perfect 'whodunit' in typical Doyle style...but with a fresh voice.

It's 1893, and Sherlock Holmes has not been seen since his encounter with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.  Dr. John H. Watson receives a strange letter from Yokohama, so he sets sail from Liverpool. His cabin mate, Mr. Hashimoto, is murdered on the voyage to Bombay...but did the assassin enter the locked room via the small porthole? And who, out of their small group, killed him?   

As Dr. Watson narrates the story, we learn about what happened to Sherlock, and why murder and mayhem are found around every corner during the journey to Japan.  It's a thrilling global chase that will leave you wanting more...and occasionally laughing.

The surprises are many, and the style, while very close to Doyle's, is a bit more lively, most likely due to some funny sequences that Mr. Murthy added with great brilliance.

Author Vasudev Murthy

This is a long, Victorian-era journey across countries that, in our present age, aren't so far away anymore, thanks to social networks, Skype, and cell phones. Although we've grown closer as a global community, and the fear of the unknown is almost nonexistent, it's still rather fun to read a story that takes place when that unknown was worthy of exploration (but let's not forget about the coming eras of domination and exploitation).

If you're in the mood for a good Holmes and Watson story, the wait will not be long. And to whet your appetite even further, 'Sherlock Holmes-The Missing Years: Japan' is the first in a series. Rumor has it that the next one will take place in Timbuktu.
  




'Sherlock Holmes-The Missing Years: Japan', written by Vasudev Murthy, will be published by Poisoned Pen Press in March 2015.  Book Hog would like to thank the publisher for the chance to read and review it!

'The Illusionists'

For the past few weeks, I've been reading manuscripts as a courtesy to some aspiring writers.  Why they want me to read them, I have no idea.  But I do know what I like...and what I don't like.  Most readers know when a story flows, and when the characters become real to them.  You don't need to be a rocket scientist (or literature professor) to know what feels most comfortable.

I was reading a manuscript for a young romance novelist friend when I received a notice from the library that a book I've had on my Hold list had finally arrived.

Once I had 'The Illusionists' in my hands, the manuscript was forgotten for a few days.

I was immediately taken with the story.  The richness and vibrancy.  The sense of place and decade.  I was sucked in so fully that there was no way I could get out of it. 

Author Rosie Thomas is known primarily as a romance author (which isn't a bad thing, mind you), and her talent shines in her newest story.  But it's more than romance.  It's magic, and greed, and resentment.  The characters are brilliantly portrayed, and I wonder if Thomas based them on real people.

At the beginning of The Illusionists, in 1870 London, we meet clever and ambitious Devil Wix, a man who dreams of running his own theater company.  Soon to enter the mix is Eliza, a young, beautiful woman who is employed as an artist's model.  She has no desire to be like the women of her age; mother and dutiful wife.  She longs for excitement, and finds that and more when she meets Devil.

Devil's right-hand man is Carlo Bonomi, an ill-tempered dwarf with an enormous talent for all things magic and illusion.  He and Devil clash constantly, and it is Eliza who brokers an uneasy alliance between them. And then there is Jasper Button, mild-mannered and a family man at heart, but it is his gift as an artist that makes him the final member of the motley crew.

Together, they become a company of performers, ready for independence and a theater of their own.

I was really impressed with Thomas' writing style.  It's gritty and real, and I love her 'sense of place'.  Her characters took their time in revealing themselves, and it made the journey even more interesting.

But Eliza....

Author Rosie Thomas

She's a woman who knows what she wants, and knows just when she wants it.  

And Devil.  Oh, lordy lordy.  Gorgeous, naughty, brilliant.  But not your 'run-of-the-mill' romantic hero.  He's no hero.  He has a past that still haunts him, and companions who either love him or hate him.  He's flawed and so very real.

I was impressed by Thomas' research of the era. Her portrayal of a city that had a brilliant surface, but a tragic undertone was beautifully realized.  I truly enjoyed reading this story.

Reading this story gave me the courage to tell my young writer friend that her story needed more depth.  She needs to suck it up and be true to herself and her story.  

Who knows where it will lead?  Hopefully, it will lead to a story as finely written as 'The Illusionists'.


'The Illusionists', written by Rosie Thomas, is available at your local library and favorite independent bookstore.  ISBN 978-1-4683-0990-4

'A Sudden Light'

For the past few weeks, I've set aside my Book Hog alter ego and taken up the annual guise of  'Queen-of-the-Flea-Killers'.  We've had a very mild Winter here in the Pacific Northwest, and when there's no snow, there's a ton of fleas. Although my Evil Plan Bureau is a strictly indoor clowder, fleas have been finding their way into our apartment; I think they latch onto our shoes and get a free ride into Catbloodland.  A dear friend suggested that I pour some salt onto our welcome mat and the inner threshold of our front door, and it's been working. Boraxo has been brushed into the carpet, and the cats (with the exception of Sonny; his claws draw blood just by looking at them) have been given a few baths.

So, there's that.  Work has also been taking up a lot of my time; curating a book section in a non-profit thrift shop is hard work.  And then there's our thrift shop's Ebay site.  *sigh*  I'm still astounded by the generosity of people.  That will never fade.

A week or so ago, while sorting books, I came across a library book.  It wasn't a 'discarded' book.  It was still in circulation, so, being the good little library patron that I am, I returned it to my local branch.  The librarian was very grateful, and I was happy to have performed a small civic duty.  So I treated myself.  I wandered through the shelves of new releases and came across a book I've been wanting to read.  

And it was good.  But not as good as the author's previous novel, 'The Art of Racing in the Rain'.  Every time I recommend that book to anyone, I always tell them to be sure to read the final chapter.  It's amazing.

Garth Stein, a writer living in Seattle, produced that wonderful novel a few years ago.  It impacted me in many ways; not only because I love animals, but because his writing truly inspires me to work on my own stories.  So, when I learned that he had published a new book, 'A Sudden Light', I had to grab it and read it.

I took my time.  I absorbed it.  I rejoiced in Stein's mastery of words and sentences, the way they led me into an adventure that was like no other.  I enjoyed his obvious adoration of our Pacific Northwest; the majesty of nature, the almost-pristine air, the history of it all.  

He's produced a fictional history that is too close to reality. His research is well displayed.

But it is his characters that impressed me the most.  So fully-drawn, so well exposed; their flaws, their secrets, their love and hate, their hidden agendas.

It's labeled a 'ghost story', but it's much more than that.  It's about family and the ties that bind us.  It's about respect for nature.  It's about never forgetting the promises that we make to each other.

In the Summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell and his father travel to Seattle's Puget Sound to help his father's sister, Serena, dispatch their ailing father to a nursing home, and sell the family mansion, and it's land, to developers.

But Trevor is a curious young man.  He explores the house's secret stairways and hidden rooms, and discovers a spirit lingering in Riddell House, a spirit at odds with the family's plan.  Only Trevor's willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his family's future.  As Trevor reads hidden letters and journals written decades ago, he learns more and more about his great-great grandfather's 'timber baron' past, and the promise he made to his beloved eldest son.

Trevor's parents are separated, and his mother, who has returned to her childhood home in England, doesn't believe her son when he tells her about his discoveries.  And his aunt, Serena, will not let up in her mission to sell the land. I felt great compassion for the plight of each character, despite the fact that some of them had ulterior motives (Stein has a talent for promoting empathy for even those characters who don't seem to deserve it).

This is a story that must be savored.  You'll be pulled into the darkness of the old house, yet find yourself breathing easier when the action moves outdoors.  The 'tree climbing' scenes will leave you almost breathless.

Most of all, you'll discover a brave young man who pays attention to everything around him and boldly challenges his family's dark history.  

Garth Stein's 'A Sudden Light' is available at your local library and favorite independent bookstore.  ISBN 978-1-4391-8703-6

'Black Dog Summer'

A fairly large stack of advance reading copies was sitting next to my coffee table.  The pile grew smaller as I plowed through each and every book.  When I got near the bottom, I found a story that I really wish I had placed on top. Because it deserved to be on top.  It deserved my attention.

And it really received it.  A few days ago, I posted on my Facebook page the fact that I had been reading it in the bathtub, and *gasp!* dropped it in the water (I had a hard day at work, so I was really tired).  Not a few pages got wet.  Oh, no.  The whole book was soaked.  Because this story was so intriguing, I actually spent an enormous amount of time blow-drying each page.  Now, that's devotion.

Three books have really stayed in my mind over the years; 'The Lovely Bones', 'Little Bee', and 'The Mercy of Thin Air'.  I can now add another one:  'Black Dog Summer'.

Of course, a ghost in involved.  And, of course, she died in a most tragic way (when is death not tragic?).  

'Black Dog Summer', written by the talented Miranda Sherry, immediately demanded my attention in the best way possible:  Incredible writing.  

A farmstead massacre in the South African bush sets the stage for a story of stunning clarity.  Thirty-eight-year-old Sally, one of the victims, narrates this story from her spot in the afterlife as she observes Gigi, the daughter she left behind.  She also watches her sister, Adele, and Liam, her brother-in-law and unrequited love.  Included in her observation is her niece Bryony and nephew, Tyler.  As hard as she tries to make contact with her family, the only one who can see her is the neighbor, Lesedi, a reluctant witchdoctor who hides her mystical connection with the dead from her neighbors in their upscale, gated community.

Gigi has fallen into her grief, refusing to speak and interact with her new family.  Bryony is resentful of Gigi's intrusion.  Adele, who had pushed Sally out of her life, now regrets her actions, and tries to communicate with her niece.  And all the while, Sally is floating through their universe, worrying all the while and desperate to tell them of the darkness looming overhead.  

I can't do justice to this story via my review.  It's startling, and some chapters almost left me breathless as I learned more about the aftereffects of the massacre.  

Sherry has a powerful voice, and her stark, simple writing and the devotion to character development places this story on my list of cherished books.  It is one I'll go back to, again and again.  

Author Miranda Sherry

It's heartbreaking and mysterious.  Full of regrets, full of chances not taken.  Full of something that I can relate to:  The love of a mother for her daughter.  It hit me in the gut.

This poignant story makes me wonder if we all do survive our deaths.  Is the one who left me floating overhead, subtly telling me to read each and every book that is offered and to pay attention to the lessons they give us?

Nope.  All I hear is, "Stop reading them in the bath tub!"


'Black Dog Summer', by Miranda Sherry, will be published by Atria Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) on February 10, 2015.  You will be able to find it at your local library and favorite independent bookstore.  Book Hog thanks the publisher for this incredible story!