As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride - Cary Elwes - 259 pages
37) A non-fiction book
This year seems to be the year of The Princess Bride. I finally read the book earlier this year, then I had a Princess Bride birthday, THEN this book came into my life.
Cary Elwes was cast as Westley in The Princess Bride at age 24 having never done a comedy role before. And that's probably another reason he was perfect for the role. Rob Reiner wanted to match the tone of the book, not a slapstick full out comedy but a tongue in cheek humor that rings true while living in a fairy tale world. There's so much that Elwes remembers about the time filming the movie, things people like me are so delighted to hear. I almost feel that the reader's love for this book will be equal to their love for the movie. If you LOVE the movie and can't seem to know enough about it (like me), then you will LOVE this book. If you think it's a good movie, you'll think this book is good. And if you hate the movie? Get out.
This was another book on cd for me. There's something magical about having Cary recount these memories to you, including the use of impressions to portray his costars and production team. It doesn't end there though; other members of the team actually recorded their voices for the audio book too. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to any Princess Bride fan.
Half a War - Joe Abercrombie - 362 pages
24) A trilogy (book 3)
Wow. What a way to go out. And yet? It doesn't seem an ending.
Once again, Abercrombie adds to his world by introducing a handful of new characters that he manages to make me care about. The stories not only include their own depth and climax, but add to overall story arch in significant ways. In Half a War we are introduced to Princess Skara (quickly promoted to Queen Skara) and her new and growing court which includes a sprinkle of pirates, spies, and rejects. Skara herself is underestimated frequently, but she knows that half of a war is fought with swords while the other half is fought with words. There's your teaser for those who haven't read this series.
For those who have, I have a question. They're guns, right? Seriously, they have to be, right?? Does that make me an elf? So many questions... But really, if they are guns as I suspect, it really makes you think about how technology can be such a devastating thing. Just think of the atom bomb. It also makes you think about who the bad guys are in this series. Father Yarvi is hell bent on his promise, that's what this is all about, revenge. But what was the cost of that revenge? Without Skara's intervention, Yarvi would become the new dictator of a land where violence begets violence without any skill or planning. Lots of thoughts.
Last thought though, the fake climax was rather anticlimactic, no? There was no way the other side could even stand a chance (see previous paragraph).
This was a good fantasy series, the supernatural elements have almost no presence in the first two books and appearing only in the last to be... not what you would expect. So it's different, but enjoyable for those interested in swordplay and voyages with a very human element.
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - 264 pages
9) A mystery or thriller
Why didn't I read this book in High School when I was supposed to? Because stubborn teenaged Jamie was dumb and didn't read class assignments fifty percent of the time.
What happens when ten strangers are invited to a mysterious island and begin to be killed off one by one after the fashion of a nursery rhyme? Suspense and paranoia.
This book scared me more than the book I read for this reading challenge that was supposed to be scary. Agatha Christie is the QUEEN of suspense. I sparknoted (which is now a verb) this book years ago and I STILL didn't see the end coming.
I would recommend this book to everyone. Especially the High School students who are supposed to be reading it. It's a fast read made even faster by the speed with which you'll be turning the pages.
43/50 Books Read
Read on,
Jamie
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