The Ringmaster’s Daughter

The Spider is the Ringmaster. He had a web of 'performers' that he controlled, his artists. He had a lost daughter. There were people who wished him harm. The Spider was the Ringmaster.

Who is Petter at the end of the story? By the conclusion, he was an extraordinary man who wanted to live an ordinary life; he wanted to be ordinary. I don't know if that could be true. Petter always lived life in a unique way, due to his abilities and manner of thought. Though, his extraordinary life has been damaging. Can he be average now? He says it is what he wants. It is left up to the reader to decide what the character will do.

The Golden Compass

I needed more Bond. I know that doesn’t start me off with how good/bad the movie was, but it’s what I was left with when the movie was over. It was decent. It could have been better (in that it needed more Daniel Craig/Lord Asriel), but it was a good movie. In general, it was kid friendly. It had that magical/fantastical quality. Just be prepared for the polar bear fight scene. Parents might need to cover younger eyes.

The girl in the movie is beyond just pretty or cute or whatever. She is expressive and intelligent. She is a strong, young female character that little girls can admire. Nicole Kidman is delightfully bad. You know she is going to be a villain as soon as she appears on scene. She is simply too beautiful and elegant to be good. Daniel Craig’s character was rougher, ruder, so of course he was the good guy.

I wasn’t a fan of the ending, though. The final battle was great. It’s after the battle that is the problem. Yes, even if the little star hadn’t gone on about what they had left to do, there were still obvious loose ends. I suppose I just didn’t like the way she listed everything, like an itinerary. It really took something away from the ending.

Juno

I can’t even express how fantastic Juno is! Juno is a quirky, weird, simply strange girl and she’s wonderful. This film was everything and more than I thought it would be. Ellen Page, Jennifer Gardner, Jason Bateman, were all fantastic. So were Juno’s parents, best friend and boyfriend. Juno was thoroughly well cast. Each actor brought their own characters to life, thus making the story more real. I think everyone has to see this movie if they haven’t already. If you’ve seen it, then see it again!

Undead and Unemployed

Oh, poor Betsy. She’s only been Queen of the Undead a few months and already people are trying to killer. Not just living people either, dead ones too! Betsy is all attitude with a large portion of denial. Thankfully, she’s working through that. She’s a regular girl, the last you would think could be the Queen. She is, however, and she is taking her responsibilities (mostly) seriously. MaryJanice Davidson’s second Undead book was as fun as the first and I think it could stand on its own. You don’t need to read Undead and Unwed to understand just how fun and frustrating Betsy Taylor’s life can be.

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla

Stephen King’s fifth Dark Tower novel was fantastic. Many of its final moments were surreal. Each of the lead characters, including the addition of Pere Callahan, were given strong storylines separate from the goal of the novel. They are gunslingers. They quest for the Tower, but they also do what gunslingers are supposed to do. They help.

I was so happy with Wolves of the Calla. It is a bit longer than the last Dark Tower installment, Wizard and Glass, but it felt shorter. There wasn’t the sense of wordiness I got with the fourth book. There was a story to tell and King told it. I couldn’t wait to keep reading, to know what happened next.

I have to admit that there was one thing that I didn’t like about the book, the illustrations. I don’t know who decided on them, but I don’t feel like they properly represented the story. Of course, each reader pictures Roland and his ka-tet differently in their minds, but if they say a character is supposed to have red hair or another is supposed to have black hair with streaks of grey, I would like that reflected in the drawings placed within the pages of the novel.

Another thing I have to mention (I hope this doesn’t ruin anything for someone who hasn’t read the novel yet) is the ‘shout out’ to Marvel Comics. Marvel, as some people might know, published a Dark Tower graphic novel. It is a story in addition to the seven book series. I haven’t read it yet, but it is sitting on a shelf next to the other novels. As a fan of Marvel and someone who has started to be interested in graphic novels, I’m glad of the match. I’m excited to see what future collaborations will bring.