Book Review: Jasmine Nights by Julia Gregson

Author: Julia Gregson

Title: Jasmine Nights

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Adventure

Format: paperback

Pages: 416

Published: June 5, 2012 

Where I Got It: Dollar Tree

Summary: 

At twenty-three, Saba Tarcan knows her only hope of escaping the clamor of Cardiff Bay, Wales, lies in her voice. While traveling Britain, singing for wounded soldiers, Saba meets handsome fighter pilot Dom Benson, recovering from burns after a crash. When Saba auditions to entertain troops in far-off lands, Dom follows her to London. Just as their relationship begins to take root, Saba is sent to sing in Africa, and Dom is assigned a new mission in the Middle East. As Saba explores Cairo’s bazaars, finding friendship among the troupe’s acrobats and dancers, Dom returns to the cockpit once again, both thrilled and terrified to be flying above the desert floor. In spite of great danger, the two resolve to reunite.

When Saba learns that her position makes her uniquely qualified for a secret mission of international importance, she agrees to help the British Secret Service, concealing her role from Dom. Her decision will jeopardize not only her safety but also the love of her life.

Review:

Yet another one I am finally dusting off! I'm trying to complete my TBR reading challenge. I have one left after this and I have beat the challenge! Huzzah!

Here we follow Saba Tarcan. The only way she can escape Wales is with her voice. While traveling Britain to sing and entertain injured soldiers from the war, she meets Dom. Dom is a fighter pilot who was injured in a crash. They hit it off right away and there seems to be a bond there. Just as their relationship seems to be taking off. Saba is sent to sing in Africa and Dom is sent to the Middle East for a mission. They promise that if they both survive they will find each other again. However, Saba's gig gets much more dangerous when she learns that she will be part of a secret mission of international importance...this may jeopardize her safety and possibly the love of her life.

Soooooooooooo I did struggle to get into this at first. I couldn't really connect with the characters or the story. I did kind of like Saba but I was unsure about Dom. Once we got going I grew to really adore Saba. Dom? He seemed okay, but there was something about him that made me feel MEH about him. I didn't like him until the very end.

Once I got through the first few chapters and Saba and Dom were separated to do their own thing (is that bad that I was excited to see Saba go off on her own?), I started enjoying the story more. 

Ooooh! The author really does have a way of bringing the past to life. I loved the settings and the descriptions. I could feel the energy. I could hear the music and taste the food. I felt like I was standing right there! Fantastic. 

The last quarter of the book seemed to deflate for me. The middle 50% was just so good. I couldn't put it down. The last 25% though. Mmm. I did love the last scene...it made my heart jump. However, the rest of the end felt like it was missing something. It just didn't pull together for me like I would hope. For example, the scene with the German, the table singing, and then Sabba's reaction just seemed forced. It was supposed to be a big moment and it felt awkward and missing something. 

Overall, the author really does have a way with words. These different locations came to life. The music, the smells, the food, the feel, the war, the people....fantastic. The beginning and a good chunk of the ending fell a little flat for me. I wish I had liked Dom more too. I did end up warming up to him at the end, but it took too long. Loved Sabba though. Some good, some meh, but I did enjoy some of the ride. 2 stars. 

Challenge(s):

- TBR Reading Challenge (#11)

 

Book Review: Her Perfect Mate by Paige Tyler

Author: Paige Tyler
Title: Her Perfect Mate (X-Ops #1)
Genre: Paranormal Romance & Fantasy
Pages: ebook
Published: May 2014
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)



Their attraction is more dangerous than any weapon of mass destruction 

When Special Forces Captain Landon Donovan is chosen for an assignment with the Department of Covert Operations, he's stunned to find his new partner is a beautiful woman who looks like she couldn't hurt a fly, much less take down a terrorist.

Ivy Halliwell isn't your average covert op. Her feline DNA means she can literally bring out the claws when things get dicey. She isn't thrilled to be paired with yet another military grunt, but Landon is different. He doesn't think she's a freak-and he's smokin' hot. Soon they're facing a threat even greater than anyone imagines... and an animal magnetism impossible to ignore.



Uggghhhh I wanted to like this. I did. I swear I did. But nooooooppppe. 

It started off alright. Nothing to write home to mom about. The two characters come together because she needs a partner and I guess he got a promotion. The government, in this world, has a special division with people who are shifters, of sorts, and they do not trust two shifters to be partners (god knows why), so they are paired with a human (god knows why). Poor girl has had some shitty partners in the past, so she is wary of this new hunk. He is in insta-lust the moment he sees her, but he respects her since she is his partner. 

But yes, started out okay. I was curious and then *yawn*. I wanted it to end. I kept going though...because I am insane. I got about 75% done and I could not do it. She annoyed me and he annoyed me. The whole world annoyed me. Nothing really made sense. What finished me off was the one mission near the end. Something happens and I just turned off my kindle and never went back. Can't say what, but I was annoyed. Also, another scene between her, him, and a male shifter who is in love with her annoyed me too. He should be fired. They should be fired. FIRE THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the end, this was a DNF. Nearly made it to the end, but two scenes annoyed me. Not for me sadly. Maybe for someone else.  

Book Review: Three Cups of Tea by D. Relin & G. Mortenson

Author: David Oliver Relin and Greg Mortenson
Title: Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time
Genre: Nonfiction
Pages: 349 
Published: 2006
Where I Got It: My shelf (Friend gave me copy)

The inspiring account of one man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia.



I have been dreading writing this review honestly. It’s not that this book is bad by any means, but it is bad. Read on and you will hopefully see what I mean.

The story follows Greg Mortenson who is pretty much a world hero and a self-proclaimed hero who has brought education to parts of the world that really need it, especially for the young girls. I say that with love. He is not humble in the work he has done. WHICH he shouldn’t be humble because he has done some amazing work, BUT an ounce of humble-pie is good for you when helping write your own book. 

Which brings me to my biggest issue of the book. This was written by two completely different authors. You can really tell. You get used to one format and style of writing and then BAM the other writer hops in mid-paragraph. *blinks* I swear I was getting whiplash. 

Not only did the writing style change, but the format of the text. The tense would change. It was like a documentary written down word for word. Things are going well and then the camera would change to an interview with the subject to get his opinion on a certain topic or event and then back to viewing the story. It was horribly distracting and made the flow as well as a choppy ocean during a hurricane. My poor brain. 

Besides for the terrible writing I had to endure, I really did like the story. Yes, yes. That sounds hard and impossible. I really did like seeing the people he ran into and the growth he had as a person as he filled the shoes of a World Hero. He really did do wonders for people who needed it. 

That is why I loathed writing this. I do not want to take away this story. I want people to experience the journey the man went on. Maybe watch his interviews and documentaries instead though. This? Gah. I can’t fully recommend it without a huge WARNING sign on the cover. 

Now…the 2nd thing I dread….the star stamp…errr…ummmmm….2 stars. Is that too low? Gah! I don’t know. I’ll stick with 2. 

Book Review: The Lion's Game by Nelson DeMille

Author: Nelson DeMille
Title: The Lion's Game (John Corey #2)
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, & Fiction
Pages: 720
Published: Jan 2000
I Got It: My shelf (Inherited from my grandpa's collection)

Detective John Corey, last seen in Plum Island, now faces his toughest assignment yet: the pursuit and capture of the world's most dangerous terrorist -- a young Arab known as "The Lion" who has baffled a federal task force and shows no sign of stopping in his quest for revenge against the American pilots who bombed Libya and killed his family. Filled with unrelenting suspense and surprising plot twists at every terrifying turn, THE LION'S GAME is a heartstopping race against time and one of Nelson DeMille's most riveting thrillers.



Blast! I started with book 2. Sighs. Oh well. Luckily it was one you could pick up and not really miss anything. A good stand alone. A couple of references I was unsure of but it wasn’t necessary to the story. 

The story follows a couple of POVs. Detective John Corey and his sidekick who has a new assignment to locate a dangerous terrorist who has everyone scratching their heads. The other POV is “The Lion’s” who is killing those who he blames for killing his family. You don’t get to see much of him, but I did enjoy seeing those glimpses here and there. Honestly? I enjoyed that POV a little more than John’s. John wasn’t bad…but I found it interesting to see from the killer’s eyes. 

There was a lot of suspense going on. Sure, you know WHO the killer is. But how do you stop this dangerous terrorist? Where is he? Where is he going to strike next? The ending was no surprise, but the real question was HOW it was going to get there. 

This is a BIG book and I really feel it was not necessary to be this long. There were so many parts that could have been trimmed and snipped. Yes, I didn’t mind the romance between John and his sidekick, but c’mon…I can only handle so much. This is supposed to be a suspense! I really feel that these overextended parts dogged down the story and made it move super slowly. I do admit I skimmed a lot of these filler parts. Yes, filler is a good word for the extra parts that didn’t help the story along. 

I honestly have to give the author credit on the character building. They were not 2D at all. John was complex and so was The Lion. It made it feel more real which added to the suspense. Also, the author made The Lion scary, buuuuut a small part of you feel bad for the guy. He did lose his whole family and now he is out for blood. Is it right of him? Eeee no…but it is tragic and it is hard not to feel a hair bad for him. I enjoyed having these conflicting thoughts about the terrorist. I also went back and forth how I liked John. Not a bad guy at all..he is law enforcement! However, he was kind of a jerk sometimes. Even the side characters were well done. Kuddos to the author *tips hat*

In the end, this was simply just okay. I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t love it. It was SO long and it exhausted me in a lot of places that I had to skim to keep going. I enjoyed the two POVs. There was a lot of suspense even with the fillers. Not a bad read if you are craving some modern suspense that deals with terrorism. This shall be stamped with…mmmm…3 stars. 

Movie Review: Alexander - Director's Cut (2004)

Length: 3h & 34m
Released: 2004
Genre: Action/Adventure & Drama
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
Alexander, the King of Macedonia and one of the greatest military leaders in the history of warfare, conquers much of the known world.

TRAILER:

REVIEW:

I have seen the TV version of this movie a handful of times. However, Netflix offers the director’s cut of this and I have been itching to give this movie a rewatch….soooo….sorry Boyfriend for making you watch 3 hours of Alexander-ness! 

If you don’t already know…I am a history-nerd to the extreme, however, even this was a wee bit long for me. Normally, I drool over director’s cuts, because I adore the extra film. This, though, was over-the-top and long. There were scenes that were not needed to move the plot forward. Some added scenes needed to be in the film to make people understand.

I have been battling myself since I first saw this film many moons ago about if I like Colin Farrell as Alexander of not. I have finally decided my opinion on him being Alexander. I love him as the war-ridden, complex, scarred, and anguished hero. I do NOT like him as young and naïve Alexander who is still just a prince and under his mommy’s thumb. Also, I do not like the blonde on him. Black hair is fitting, but alas, Alexander was a golden hero and thus needs blonde hair. 

My other complaint is the layout of the film. I hate the time jumps…it confuses the plot in this one. I had to explain many times to Boyfriend what was going on and WHY. The story needed to be told from point A to point B. Historical films need that flow for people who are not as knowledgeable about the time period and/or the character.

Poor Pony! Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still cried! :(

Now, I must give kudos to Angelina Jolie who played the sassy and bitchy Olympia, Alex’s momma. This has always been one of my favorites by her. She does this role justice and plays her how I envision her. The accent is super strong, but oddly…I think it fits this character who is SO proud of her heritage and whatnot. Much like Southerners who accent shouldn’t be THAT thick, but they make it thick because they are proud to be Southern. 

Even though I have mixed reviews on the actor who plays Alexander, I must say this film does well in presenting the man who is a Great. He was both a hero and a villain – it depends on your view and feelings. He had good attributes, ideas, and had a heart. However, he was taking over people’s lands. The biggest thing I am glad they made a HUGE note on is that he was a bisexual (leaning toward more Gay). People are so sensitive towards this even today. Why? That is a whole different post. I’m glad they showed the truth. People tend to forget homosexuality has been around since the dawn of man. Hell – many other mammals have the same gene. But yes, Alexander the Great was bisexual and I am glad they didn’t “forget”/”neglect” to leave that out. 

Overall, this is entertaining and a great portrayal of one of the most remembered historical figures. I have my mixed opinions on the person who they selected to play him, however, I am pleased the with entire cast. This was the first time I watched the undirector’s cut and I felt like it was TOO long. Some scenes that had been deleted from the TV version NEEDED to be in there, but there were others that did not. I highly recommend this film to those that love history or who are looking for a good film. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3 stars. 

Re-watch?: Maybe I'll stick with the TV version

Book Review: To Be Queen by Christy English

Author: Christy English
Title: To Be Queen - A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine #2)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 380
First Published: March 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

After her father's sudden death, fifteen-year-old Eleanor is quickly crowned Duchess of Aquitaine and betrothed to King Louis VII. When her new husband cannot pronounce her given name, Alienor becomes Eleanor, Queen of France. 

Although Louis is enamored of his bride, the newly crowned king is easily manipulated by the church and a God that Eleanor doesn't believe in. Now, if she can find the strength to fight for what she wants, Eleanor may finally find the passion she has longed for, and the means to fulfill her legacy as Queen. 

I simply adore Queen Alienor/Eleanor. She is one my favorite historical figures. Poor girl is born in the wrong era. Luckily, her father believed she should learn to read, write, ride horses, hunt, and even have a hand in politics. He knew she would need it when he died since he left her as his heir to Aquitaine. He also planned on her becoming Queen of France as well.

I am glad we got to see her father more. Normally books end up killing him at the beginning, but not here. It was nice to see Alienor as a child and seeing her grow up into the legend she would become. I also loved that the author made her seem human with human weakness. Many authors idolize her and make her superwoman. She was a wonderful woman, but had many weaknesses like the rest of us and she accepted her weaknesses and I loved it. Main weakness...greed. She wanted so much, which I don't blame her. Aim high, but alas, there are SO many signs to run away screaming from Louis. GAH! He's a nice guy, sure, but he is a puppet of the church. It was not worth it and it took years of marriage for her to realize this and move on with her life.

There was a chunk in the middle that bored me too tears. Nothing was happening and it just went on and on for about 30 pages. UGHHHH. Finally something happened and the flow went back to normal. Gah. But that was a long 30 pages. It was defiantly the calm before the storm, but alas, boring.

I did like how she ended it. It was a nice hopeful ending even though we all know how the marriage to Henry goes...not good. But yes, hopeful and makes me want to read more. It's been a while since I've read a book on Alienor, so I want to continue and finish her story. She is an interesting woman especially for the time period.

In the end, this was certainly a good take on the famous Alienor's life. There was a dry spot in the middle, but it ending after about 30 pages, so I am content. I was worried for a while, but I knew that it couldn't last forever. I loved the fact that we got to see Alienor as a child and learn more about her father. I still want to read a book about her father and mother and their early life. I must search for that! Let me know if that exists. ;) The ending was also good and I want more. I totally recommend this to those that like history. In the end, I shall stamp this with 4 stars.

Movie Review: Team America - World Police (2004)

Length: 1 hr & 37 mins
Released: 2004
Genre: Comedy, Action/Adventure, & Drama
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Netflix 

SUMMARY:
Team America, an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability, learns that a power hungry dictator is brokering weapons of mass destruction to terrorists. The heroes embark upon a harrowing mission to save the world. To infiltrate the terrorist network, Team America recruits Gary Johnston, a rising star on Broadway to go undercover. Although initially reluctant to sacrifice his promising career, Gary realizes that his acting gift is needed for a higher cause. With the help of Team America leader Spotswoode and fellow members Chris, Sarah, Lisa and Joe, Gary slips into an arms dealer's hideout where he discovers that the terrorists' plot has already begun to unfold. From the pyramids of Cairo to the Panama Canal and finally to the palace of power-mad dictator Kim Jong-Il, Team America criss-crosses the globe on a desperate mission to preserve the very fabric of civilization.

TRAILER: 

REVIEW:

I had watched this a LONG time ago. Prolly a year or two after it came out. Well, one of Boyfriend co-worker's suggested he watch this...and thus we did. I felt bad and let him pick this movie, but I'd seen it and I was MEH about it before. 

Again, its okay. 

FUNNY as hell, but not something I can watch a million times.

The funniest part of the this film is that is spares no feelings (Like the show 'South Park') and spares no one. The main target of this film is America and the late North Korean leader. WHICH, I shall add, did not bitch about this film when it came out. >_> Sure he was "offended", but he didn't care enough to freak out like his baby son when a film was made about him. Sighs.

ANYWAYS, I digress.

Even though it is funny as hell, it embarrasses and angers me once in a while BECAUSE It is SO true about many of the Americans in this country. Its so sad. People are idiots and there is nothing I can do about it.

The most iconic moment of the movie is the song, "AMERICA...F*&^ YEAH!" CLASSIC! I love it. Every time it came on I danced and sang along. Yes, its making fun of the Americans I hate, but damn, I love it. Below is a little music video with this lovely song of awesomeness! 

The puppets were creepy....super creepy. Why did they have to use puppets? Symbolism, perhaps? We are all puppets? BUT WHY MAKE THEM BLINK???????? UGH. Creepy. I think I would have liked this film better if it was a cartoon instead; like the 'South Park' cartoon style. Just my opinion.

My biggest annoyance with this film is some of the scenes. They were so cheesy and not really needed. It took away from the film I believe. 

In the end, DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN under the age of 14 watch this film. It's R for a reason. Lots of swearing, raunchy jokes, and so forth. There were some scenes that bogged down the movie and I hated the puppets, but overall, it was just a funny movie to watch when you are bored or need to laugh about the idiots of the world. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3 stars.

Favorite Character(s): MATT DAMON! HAHAHAHA!

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Sarah 

Re-watch?: No....unless it was on someone's TV already and I came over and had no choice.