Read for the Coursera online course, Carl’s 2012 Science Fiction Experience, the Not Just for Stormtroopers Sci-Fi challenge, & the Gender in Fantasy & Sci-Fi 2012 Genly Ai has been on Gethen for two years. He is the First Mobile, … Continue reading
Tag Archives: friendship
10 May 2012
Call no: 800
Genre: historical, Juv/YA
Setting: 1940s, France
9 Stars
7 Comments
Code name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Received free from NetGalley “Verity” has been captured by the Germans. Held in a converted hotel in France she is tortured and forced to give up all her secrets. But in her confession and her report on all her secrets … Continue reading
19 January 2011
Genre: general fiction
Setting: 1910s, Flanders, Ireland
8 Stars
8 Comments
How many miles to Babylon? by Jennifer Johnston
ISBN: 9780141046969 ; Quotes Because I am an officer and a gentleman they have given me my notebooks, pen, ink and paper. Growing up Alec has always been isolated. His parents despise one another, he is one of their battlegrounds, … Continue reading
14 January 2011
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall
Script: David Seidler
Genre: drama, historical fiction
Setting: 1930s, England, Interwar Europe
9 Stars
8 Comments
The King’s Speech directed by Tom Hooper
The wireless changed a great many things. Before, all that was required of a monarch was that he look the part, and not fall off his horse. After the king would invade his people’s homes and have to court them … Continue reading
28 December 2010
Genre: general fiction, Juv/YA
Setting: Australia
5 Comments
Touching earth lightly by Margo Lanagan
ISBN: 1864488239 “I’ve got to get our of that house.” Janey looked almost small, walking past these angled girders. Growing up is hard. Even when you have encouraging responsibly parents, like Chloe. When you don’t, when your parents are like … Continue reading
13 June 2010
Call no: 800
Genre: historical fiction
Setting: 1960s, USA - Mississippi
Comments Off
The help by Kathryn Stockett
Mae Mobley was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960.
The Help of the title refers to the black women domestics who worked all other the southern states, the maids and cleaners who went into the homes of “polite” society and looked after children, cleaned house, cooked, and generally looked after everyone before returning to their own homes to do the same there. Specifically this is about two maids, Aibileen and Minny, who agree to tell the story of their lives to Miss Skeeter, a white woman in her twenties who wants to be a writer.
10 June 2010
Call no: 800
Genre: Juv/YA, sff
Setting: Bayern
6 Comments
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
This is the second Book of Bayern so it does help if you have read the first book, The Goose Girl but it is not entirely necessary as the story itself is quite separate. Hale expands on the world she created in the first book, using a secondary character. In The Goose Girl Enna was one of Ani’s “forest friends”, important as friend and helper. In this book Enna is the main character. After the events of the first film she returned home to the forest, her mother died, and she moved back home with her brother. As this book begins he has found a mysterious vellum parchment in the forest and begins to change, becoming hot-headed and rash. At first he begins to argue against the king, saying the forest folk have been too harshly treated and deserve better, but as soon as word comes of a possible war he swings in behind Bayern and becomes a loyal subject, desiring to go to war on his country’s behalf. And then there is the fact that he can control fire.
1 June 2010
Call no: 800
Genre: Juv/YA, sff
Setting: Bayern
5 Comments
The goose girl by Shannon Hale
by Shannon Hale
One of my favourite fairy tales is the story of The Goose Girl, although before beginning this book I had only the vaguest of memories about the story. I knew it featured a princess who was given gifts from her mother before being sent off to marry a foreign prince, and I could quite clearly recall the maid who betrayed her and took her place as princess, forcing the princess to become a goose girl. And there was no way I wasn’t going to remember the talking horse who was killed for his loyalty and whose head hung over the archway reminding the princess that “If your mother only knew, her heart would surely break in two”. I couldn’t quite recall how it all got sorted in the end, but I knew it ended most unpleasantly for the maid. Continue reading
22 April 2010
Call no: 937
Cast: Alia Shawkat, Andrew Wilson, Ellen Page, Jimmy Fallon, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Landon Pigg, Marcia Gay Harden
Script: Shauna Cross
Genre: drama, sport
Setting: Texas, USA, Virginia
4 Comments
Whip it! directed by Drew Barrymore
Dir: Drew Barrymore
Writ: Shauna Cross, based on her novel
Bliss Cavender works at a typical American diner, under her mother’s guidance she does pageants, and she goes to school. It isn’t an ideal life. She wants out. One day, while out shopping she sees some local roller derby girls and wants to investigate. Herself and best friend Pash pretend to be going to see the local football team but instead head for the roller derby, and before you know it Bliss is trying out for a team.
Can I just say that I loved this film. It was teh awesome!
3 February 2005
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church
Genre: comedy, drama
8 Stars
Comments Off
Sideways directed by Alexander Payne
Thank God, a good film. A great film even, and seeing as the films I saw before this were stinkers, what a relief. Jack and Miles are best friends, Miles is Jack’s best man for his upcoming wedding. So they … Continue reading