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July 1 2008: Reviews In Ten Words: June 2008

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Non-Fiction

  1. Michael Beaumier - I Know You’re Out There: A lost art, stories of desperate love from the personals.
  2. May-lee Chai and Winberg Chai - The Girl From Purple Mountain: The changing narrative voices makes comprehension hard and chronology difficult.
  3. Allan Hall & Michael Leidig - Girl In The Cellar (The Natascha Kampusch Story): Unsatisfying, full story can only be heard from two involved.
  4. Robert Macklin - Kevin Rudd, A Biography: Approved biography, written with rose-tinted glasses. Glosses over any faults.
  5. Rana Mitter - Modern China, A Very Short Introduction: Satisfactory for those without prior knowledge, terribly basic for knowledgable.
  6. Joshua Piven - As Luck Would Have It: Real-life tales of luck and fortune, both good and bad.
  7. Joan Sauers - Sex Lives of Australian Teenagers: Survey method fraught with difficulties, grain of salt much advised.
  8. Jin Xing - Shanghai Tango: Touching recount of searching for true self, transsexual or otherwise.
  9. Adeline Yen Mah - China, Land of Dragons and Emperors: Quick summary of Chinese history, suited to children/young adults.

Fiction

  1. Therese Alan - Getting Married: Mildly anxious psychotic protagonist with added stress of wedding plans.
  2. Virginia Andrews - Secrets In The Attic: Title reminiscent of Flowers classic, but without special Andrews touch.
  3. Jane Austen & Other - Sanditon: Latter half suffered from not having the ‘true’ Austen touch.
  4. Jane Austen & Other - The Watsons: Captivating qualities of protagonist unclear, hard to understand male infatuation.
  5. Meg Cabot - Big Boned: None of Cabot’s novels quite match up to Princess Diaries.
  6. Donna Kaufman - Bad Boys In Kilts: Family of hot Scots who know how to please? Puh-lease!
  7. Chris Manby - The Matchbreaker: Hard to sympathise with such a nasty and self-centred protagonist.
  8. Sue Margolis - Gucci Gucci Coo: Could have taken social issue further, but lingered in chicklit.
  9. Kasey Michaels - Bowled Over: Discomforting feeling of having stumbled into reading a weaker sequel.
  10. Elizabeth Newark - The Darcys Give A Ball: Inclusion of other Austen characters disarming, a sinfully guilty pleasure.
  11. Bernadette Strachan - Handbags and Halos: Rewards readers with some real plot twists, surprisingly strong chicklit.

Movies

  1. Bad Santa (2003): Definitely not family-friendly material, instead appealing to uncouth like myself.
  2. Brick (2005): Absolute visual and aural poetry, modern film noir played straight.
  3. Dude, Where’s My Car (2000): Brainless amusement, supplies some sweet classic lines dude: “And theeeeeen?”.
  4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998): Drug-and-rage-fuelled whimsical ramblings incomprehensible to the sober.
  5. Hoodwinked (2005) Turns expectations upside down, replete with spunk, daring, and adventure.
  6. Mansfield Park (1999): Deviated from original heavily, with little attention to finer details.
  7. Match Point (2005): Lyrical storytelling; comparisons with Dostoevsky’s Crime And Punishment entirely warranted.
  8. Saw IV (2007): Gruesome, exhibitionist horror, much like the others in the series.
  9. Vacancy (2007): Surprising what suspense one can generate with fewer than five characters.
  10. Zoolander (2001): Number of celebrity cameos makes a Who’s Who of Hollywood.

4 Responses to “Reviews In Ten Words: June 2008”

  1. I love these, perhaps I’ll try this some time.. (And give you credit, of course:P)

    I’ve never read any of those books, or seen any of those movies, but maybe I’ll check a few of them out :D

    And I have to agree.. Cabot’s Princess Diaries were great, or well the first one was, and nothing else has really been that good :/

    Shen-Shen on July 1 2008 #

  2. Good god, how do you manage to read/watch all of this in a month!? :O

    Reply: Well I’ve had the advantage of having been away from uni for the bulk of the month. :P I read a lot when I’m at work, so I can average about five or so hours of reading a day…or about ten or more books a week.

    Sarai on July 1 2008 #

  3. I LOVED Match Point! Although at the start I only watched it for Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers :P…

    Melinda on July 1 2008 #

  4. I was keeping a library list with Bibliobuff but for some reason I keep forgetting to add the books I read to it and by the time I remember to do so I can’t recall what books I read.

    Maybe just making a list somewhere would help. Either way, your list gives me some more ideas on books to read!

    Chans on July 1 2008 #

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