Ender’s Game
by Orson Scott Card

Carol D reccommended it and then Christina L. lent me her copy. I enjoyed it. Since I’ve taken far too long posting this review, Im just posting quotes:

That’s the problem with winning right from the start, thought Ender. You lose friends.

As for Peter–we didn’t even suggest a meeting, and so he didn’t have a chance to tell us to go to hell.

Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to be controlled by good people, by people who love you.

Wikipedia Entry

Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Does it look like I give a damn?

Regarding a Martini, Casino Royale

Oddly enough it was on reading the above quote in a review, that I chose to see this movie. I had initially been quite disappointed in the choice of who got to play Bond. Was rooting for Clive Owen. However I was pleasently surprised. The movie was far too long as with all bond movies but gripping. More violent than previous ones yet managing to keep the glamour and giving Bond a sharp edge. There’s one chase scene in the begining which is exquisitely executed. It flows. Not much gadgetry either in the movie. Quite raw. Obviously I’m reccommending it.

Other movies seen of late with one-liners and such:

Don [South Asian flick]:
I dont like Sharukh Khan. Nothing can prompt me to like him. The movie sucked no matter what the hoardes say. They’re all too busy ogling at Priyanka Chopra.

Girl with the Pearl Earring:
It is a sad day indeed when the only actor I found mildly appealing was a supporting cast member with maybe 5 lines during the entire movie ( Cillian Murphy ).

The Pink Panther (2006):
Boring. Doesnt even come up to 1/millionth of the original.

Rumour Has It:
Occasionally funny.

A Cinderella Story
Typical teen flick. But I liked it. Pleasant timepass and awesome soundtrack.

And books:

Sandman: The Kindly Ones:
As with all the sandman books, by the time I finish it, I intend to read it again. But after I go through the sequence properly. Reminder to myself: Quit going out of sequence.

Ok could somebody please tell me why everyone is raving about this book? I’m referring to Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom. I started it, stopped, tried reading somewhere in the middle to somehow pique my interest but no can do. Anything I read seemed to be overdoing it. A teacher apparently opening his student’s eyes to the hidden meaning in the world. Except in my opinion everyone is generally aware of all this meaning and the writer was merely trying to put it into a more flowing, rhythmic text. Except he failed. The Alchemist survived mainly because Coelho managed to convey the whole spiritual, zen aura. Rumi, Ghalib and all were masters of prose . Yet Albom… seriously I really dont get his popularity. Eitherways point being I give up. Am not finishing this book unless someone can convince me otherwise.

Update:

So I decided to go through the Amazon.ca reviews and found this funny comment:

He could have called it “Tuesdays Wasted with an Obtuse Man who misses all my points, big and small.”

I recently implemented a wordpress plugin called Wordpress Lists developed by Navid Azimi. Consequently I went list crazy. I’ve added the listing of Books, Movies and Playlist in the sidebar and hopefully will manage to keep track of stuff.

On the subject of books, I just finished two James Rollins books (Map of Bones, Black Order) and am pleasantly surprised. His books are typically longer than most novels but have a lot of interesting content. From history, to technology to belief systems. Lots of detailed research incorporated in the action/thriller genre. The romance sucks mainly because it’s overdone but considering it’s usually a smaller side story anyway, can be ignored. However if you’re looking for something majorlly different from mainstream literature, you probably won’t find it in his books. They’re more The Da Vinci Code kind except the facts tend to be less meddled with. Map of Bones started off really interesting too. Basically it starts off in the Cologne Cathedral where robbers enter and set off a device which spontaneously electrocutes/combusts only those worshippers who took communion. You’ll have to read the rest to figure out why and how.

Cologne Cathedral courtesy Wikipedia

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk:

Not as strong as other books by Palahniuk. Deals with the concept of reinventing oneself completely. Of the need to want to be different and the same simultaneously. Well written as always so not boring. Depressing though and a tad gruesome at times. I’d say bordering on disgusting. But then I guess that’s his trademark. To be affected you must feel something strong. Like in Fight Club. The movie had me hating everyone involved in it for the first half. Primarily because I felt it was encouraging something awful. The second half when everything unravels made me kick myself for being taken in. Strong stuff.

Vernon God Little by D. B. C. Pierre

The language was a little too uncouth for my taste. Yet that is the language a Vernon God Little type kid would use. Good read. The end was a little hurried though and I felt not as strongly written. Uff. At times like this I realise I am far too proper to write reviews for any of these books for it is quite impossible for me to state what I think without being grossly offensive. Eitherways point being, recommended.

I should probably point out that not everyone is likely to take to the stuff I end up reading. My books could probably be classifed as morose, odd, relating to enchantments and such, sarcastic and those that make you go wha…