Catching Fire (2013)
Better late than never, I present to you, my review of Catching Fire, 2013's sequel to The Hunger Games, and I'll even give you advanced notice of my angle, simply because I'm so nice like that. While I am writing a comprehensive review to let you know whether you should see it, and to generate discussion if you already have, my main thesis will be that Catching Fire is a far superior movie to The Hunger Games (2012).
Sherlock
It's about time to talk about The Empty Hearse. Sherlock Season 3 aired on January 1st in the UK and January 19 in the US. Without spoiling too much, let's discuss what went on and what degree of awesomeness it went on in. I'm not sure if that made sense. To avoid spoilers, there may not be so many words as pretty pictures, meant to entice those of you who've yet to see it to CATCH UP already!
In the distance
I'm reading Pillars of the Earth for the first time, so you can expect a review of Ken Follett's great historical work from the perspective of a late-comer to the game. I'll say right now that I'm shocked, and that the amount of shock gives George R. R. Martin a run for his ... gold dragons (? I'm not nearly enough of a Game of Thrones expert, it's sad) ... And I'll get on watching that TV series, what fun!
I read The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling almost a year ago, and I didn't review it because I didn't have a fantasy angle, but these days I'm listening to the audiobook of Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal (Philosopher's Stone in Spanish) and some echoes have come up. I realised just how dark Harry Potter is from the beginning, and got to thinking in particular about what an abusive upbringing he had in the Dursley household. A glimpse into Rowling's more adult writing makes Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone all the more black when you have a better sense of the mind it comes from. If you haven't read The Casual Vacancy, you won't know what I mean, so I'll give you a hint. There are certain gross-out bodily functions that I expect to read about in a Chuck Palahniuk or Stephen King novel ... if you know what I'm saying. Now Jo could be up there with George R. R. Martin and Ken Follett! (almost ... not quite ...)
I've got a review copy of Kory M. Shrum's Dying for a Living. It comes out on March 4th, and my review will arrive around the same time. Yay!
And then I'm going to re-review The Way of Kings in anticipation of Brandon Sanderson's second book in the Stormlight Archives, Words of Radiance, which is released March 4th, and I have a pre-order coming! Then I'll re-cap Once Upon a Time in time for season 3 part to to begin, March 9th. And somewhere in there or after, I'll catch up on my reading and review A Storm of Swords in time for Game of Thrones Season 4 (which airs April 6th, new trailer Feb 9th) and The Hunger Games books one and two, by Suzanne Collins.
The next Star Indie Spotlight will be on Mark Wayne McGinnis, author of Scrapyard Ship!
That oughta take us until April or so! I hope you'll come back and drop some thoughts. Or musings. Or whatever suits you.
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