Book Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Book Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Summary:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

Review:

In this installment, we pick up right where we left off in Bloodlines. The group is minus the traitorous Keith, with Sydney making points for handling the situation so well. Dimitri and Sonya have arrived to study spirit with Adrian. Both the vampire community and the Alchemists want to find out why, once a Strigoi is changed back into their original state, they will never be able to be turned back to Strigoi again. Sydney, Jill, and Eddie continue to attend Amberwood Prep as siblings but they have a new addition to assist in the protection of Jill: Angeline, the dhampir from the Keepers, a separatist group of Moroi, dhampir, and humans who don't care for the rules of the Moroi court. Angeline is a fun addition to their group, and I like how she mixes things up for Jill and Eddie! 

Richelle Mead really shines in character development, and this is my favorite part of this story. Sydney had come a long way since we first met her in VA. Her prejudices are slowly breaking down. She is finally seeing the Moroi, and dhampirs as people, not as evil, unnatural creatures. My favorite part of her growth, though, is that in relation to Adrian. To see them grow close, and lean on each other was a real pleasure. There are many moments of swoon and hilarity. Adrian is his usual wise-cracking self, and then Sydney can just be so clueless with social situations, you can't help but laugh. The best part with them is seeing how much they genuinely care for one another. I've always had a soft-spot for Adrian. In VA, he helped Rose so much without questions or strings attached (well, maybe a little bit of string!). But I always thought he went above and beyond for her, as well as Jill. He's even more of a sweetheart in this book. There were times I would be sighing, oh Adrian! I don't want to give anything away, but fans of "Sydrian" will not be disappointed.

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth. And you don't even know it." 

And I have to give you this one too:

"Sage," he said. "What are you wearing?"

I sighed and stared down at the dress. 

"I know. It's red. Don't start. I'm tired of hearing about it."

"Funny," he said. 

"I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at it." 

This one was my personal favorite or maybe I am biased because of Adrian,

 I’d give it:

****

Reviewed by Fouzia Umer

Sequel to Bloodlines :http://reviewsentertainment.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-bloodlines-by-rachelle-mead.html

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Book Review: Bloodlines by Rachelle Mead

Book Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Summary :

Sydney’s blood is special. That’s because she’s an alchemist –one of the group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with the allegiances in question, her future is on line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir – the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir – is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill’s guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk outside – and within – the school grounding. Now that they are in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

Review:

Bloodlines is a spin off from the Vampire Academy Series. As such some of VA’s secondary characters come back and take centre stage action here. This is also an entirely new plot line and not a continuation of the original story. Certainly a few key plot elements from the VA series are mentioned throughout the book and are of importance, but the book can be read irrespective of having followed Vampire Academy or not.

It is written in what has now become typical Richelle Mead style, i.e. intrigue intermingled with humour and romance. It is also designated for young adult readers, yet it is not restricted to just them. It does make an interesting and easy to follow plot line that can amuse and entertain whoever decides to pick it up.

I have to admit I was a little scared of this one. I really liked Vampire Academy and I didn't know if Mead could pull off a spin off, but let me reassure anybody who has doubts this book is awesome! This book is told from Sydney’s point of view. For those who don't remember she was the alchemist who helped Rose escape from prison. I liked Sydney in VA series but she always seemed a little cold. Well in this new series we get to find out why and I have to say that if I grew up like she did I would be pretty cold too. I really liked her voice and I will even go as far as saying that I liked her better than Rose. Sydney has her flaws of course but she is such a strong character that those are easy to overlook. The whole Alchemist world interests me and I think there will be some strong story lines to come. We also get to see several characters from VA and among them of course is Adrian. I will state for the record that I was Team Dimitri all the way but oh I have completely fallen for Adrian now. 

Vampire Academy fans will embrace the new story & new readers will become absorbed by Moroi and Strigoi culture, by the Alchemists’ sometimes medieval beliefs and by the simple thing that’s called life and it comes to challenge the much likeable characters.

 Bloodlines does not disappoint.It intrigues and excites and it does entertain. 

I’ll rate it with:

****

Vampire Academy : http://reviewsentertainment.blogspot.com/2013/12/vampire-academy-by-richelle-mead-plot.html

Reviewed by Fouzia Umer 

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Official Trailer : Let's Be Cops (2014)

Official Trailer : Let's Be Cops (2014)

In the new trailer for Let’s Be Cops, New Girl roommates Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. play a pair of BFFs who dress as police officers for a costume party. When their fake outfits get them mistaken for real cops, they quickly discover that they enjoy the respect and excitement that comes with their (phony) new jobs.

Let’s Be Cops feels like nothing so much as a New Girl subplot blown up to feature length. I could totally see Nick and Coach pretending to be cops for an episode. Johnson and Wayans’ characters here are so close to their characters there, in fact, that it makes me wonder why Schmidt, Winston, Jess, and Cece aren’t there to stop their shenanigans before they get out of hand.

And you know they’re going to get out of hand, because that’s how these movies go. Let’s Be Cops has the potential to get pretty dark and twisted, since the thought of two schmucks like these getting away with impersonating authority figures is terrifying. Whether the film understands that is unclear. The trailer keeps things pretty light. But if nothing else, Let’s Be Cops should be worth checking out just for the great chemistry between its two leads.

Let’s Be Cops opens August 13.

 

Book Review : The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Book Review : The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.”

Plot:

Narrated by Death, The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who given up by her mother to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small town of Molching in 1939, shortly before World War II. On their way to Molching, Liesel's younger brother Werner dies, and she is traumatized, experiencing nightmares about him for months. Hans is a gentle man who brings her comfort and helps her learn to read, starting with a book Liesel took from the cemetery where her brother was buried.

Liesel befriends a neighborhood boy, Rudy Steiner, who falls in love with her. At a book burning, Liesel realizes that her father was persecuted for being a Communist, and that her mother was likely killed by the Nazis for the same crime. She is seen stealing a book from the burning by the mayor's wife Ilsa Hermann, who later invites Liesel to read in her library.

Keeping a promise he made to the man who saved his life, Hans agrees to hide a Jew named Max Vandenberg in his basement. Liesel and Max become close friends, and Max writes Liesel two stories about their friendship, both of which are reproduced in the novel. When Hans publicly gives bread to an old Jew being sent to a concentration camp, Max must leave, and Hans is drafted into the military at a time when air raids over major German cities were escalating in terms of frequency and fatality. Liesel next sees Max being marched towards the concentration camp at Dachau.

 Liesel loses hope and begins to disdain the written word, having learnt that Hitler's propaganda is to blame for the war and the Holocaust and the death of her biological family, but Ilsa encourages her to write. Liesel writes the story of her life in the Hubermanns' basement, where she miraculously survives an air raid that kills Hans, Rosa, Rudy, and everyone else on her block. Liesel survives the war, as does Max. She goes on to live a long life and dies at an old age.

Review:

Disclaimer: 

If you want a fast read, this book is not for you. If you only like happy endings this book is not for you. If you don't like experimental fiction, this book is not for you. 

If you love to read and if you love to care about the characters you read about and if you love to eat words like they're ice cream and if you love to have your heart broken and mended on the same page, this book is for you. 

“When death captures me,” the boy vowed, “he will feel my  fist on his face.”

Personally, I quite like that. Such stupid  gallantry.

Yes.

I like that a lot.

Death himself narrates the story about a little girl named Liesel growing up with her foster parents in Nazi Germany. At the beginning, I felt somewhat intimidated by the idea of Death as a narrator. I assumed that his voice would be dark and thunderous, but for the most part, he was a ray of light illuminating earth’s saddest time. Incredibly insightful observations and occasional dry humor are only some of the things no one but Death could have brought into this story. Besides, we hear people calling God’s name every day for many reasons, but when Death calls to Him in despair and even those calls fall on deaf ears, no one can fail to understand the gravity of the situation.

I do not carry a sickle or a scythe.

I only wear a hooded black robe when it’s cold.

And I don’t have those skull-like 

facial features you seem to enjoy

pinning on me from a distance. You 

want to know what I truly look like?

I’ll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while I continue.

The Book Thief is not one of those books you read compulsively, desperate to find out what’s on the next page. No. It is, in fact, better to read it slowly, in small doses, in a way that allows you to savor every word and absorb the power and the magic it contains. All the while, you know what’s going to happen. Death has no patience for mysteries. However, anticipation of the inevitable makes it even worse. My whole body was tingling with fear because I knew what was coming and I knew that it was only a matter of time.

Zusak found a way to give a fresh approach to a much-told story. He offered a glimpse at the other side of the coin. Really, should we feel sorry for the people hiding in a basement in Munich suburbs? Sure, bombs are falling on their heads, but most of them are members of the Nazi Party, willingly or reluctantly. Some of them truly think that Jews are no better than rats. Some, on the other hand, are hiding a Jew in their own basement. Some are just innocent children. But the more important question is, are we any better at all if we don’t feel compassion and sorrow? Death does a great job of asking all these questions in a calm, unobtrusive way.

Some Quotes From the Book:

•“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.”

•“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”

•“Somewhere, far down, there was an itch in his heart, but he made it a point not to scratch it. He was afraid of what might come leaking out.”

•“I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate.”

•“There was once a strange, small man. He decided three important details about his life: 

1. He would part his hair from the opposite side to everyone else. 

2. He would make himself a small, strange mustache. 

3. He would one day rule the world. 

...Yes, the Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words.”

I’d rate this different yet powerful novel with:

****

Reviewed by Fouzia Umer 

Movie Review : 2 States (2014)

Movie Review : 2 States (2014)

Plot: 

The story starts with Krish (Arjun Kapoor) met Ananya (Alia Bhatt) in IIM Ahmedabad where they both are in a canteen line where Krish offers his Ras Gulla to Ananya and their friendships start from there. Then Krish starts teaching Ananya Economics and both Fall in Love with each other. The both made up their mind to get married and here the story actually starts. Krish and Ananya call their parents at their convocation so they can meet up and they will get married easily. Is it this simple in movies? No! Not in this one too.

Krish belongs to a Punjabi Family and his Mom (Amrita Singh) is very conservative yet funny like other Punjabis, his Dad (Ronit Roy) is a retired Army Officer and has a not-so-good relation with his son. 

On Other hand, Ananya is Tamil and her parents are also very conservative and when the both family met at the convocation the fight starts between the 2 STATES.

Review:

2 States is based on a bestseller novel by "Chetan Bhagat" with the same name. Two more films were made from his novels 3 Idiots (5 Points Someone) and Kai Po Che (3 Mistakes Of My Life) and both were critically and commercially big hits. So, will this one be his hattrick or will be a let down? 

Its a successful fare yet another by UTV, Dharma Production , Arjun Kapoor & Alia Bhatt. Arjun Kapoor Previous movies has just showcased him as an Angry Young Man but this Act of his is just Mind blowing and he stands out as the top performer in the movie. Check him out confronting with psychiatrist in the whole movie, convincing both the parents, showing a different attitude towards his dad, being a simple yet lovable guy, a girl's dream guy, even playing a educated Punjabi boy with ease and that look suits him alot.

On Other hand the other lead, Alia Bhatt, this girl has something in her, she is so pretty that you cant took your eyes off her, her performance is top notch that you cant judge that's her third movie, after "Highway" she raised her standards and lived up to it. Amrita Singh is funny as hell but she played her part so good that you will hate and love her at the same time, playing a Punjabi mother and keep on pointing out mistakes of others, showing cheapness and all. She is perfect and will like to see her regularly in movies. Revathy, playing Alia Bhatt's mother, is too good but gets limited scope still she leave a mark. Ronit Roy appears in a Cameo and he is superb wish he had more role in the movie. Others also acted Good.

Abhishek Varman's first attempt as a director hits the bulls eye and surely he is going to handle some good offers from Producers. The Music of the movie is Brilliant and composed by the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and they are back on track after some dull and boring music. Locha-e-Ulfat and Mast Magan are the pick of the lot, actually whole album is amazing. 

On the whole 2 States is a light hearted movie, which you can watch with your loved ones and you will enjoy it!

i will rate this Rom-Com :
****

Reviewed by Kelly Cutrone