Rapid Reviews

Lest you think I have been resting on my skinny laurels, I have some quick reviews from the past few weeks to make up for my silence.

***

New Braunfels’ newest restaurant is BJ’s Brewhouse and, man, is the food great! We’ve only been twice, but can’t wait to go back. So far, their deep dish pizza is the best in the world and the Asian chicken sesame salad is yummilicious. They brew their own beers, which we do not imbibe; however, they also make their own root beer and cream soda. Perfect family place.

***

Bookwise, I have read three new library acquisitions…

The Mysterium by P.C. Doherty is the latest in his medieval mystery series. It is 1304 and Sir Hugh Corbett has been ordered to investigate some gruesome murders, only to find that they are all related to other murders from two decades earlier. All victims, past and present, have had “M” carved into their foreheads…This was my first introduction to Mr. Doherty, and I may check out another one or two.

SIDNEY CHAMBERS and The Shadow of Death by James Runcie is set in 1950s Grantchester, England, a train ride from London. Sidney is the 32-year-old, unconventional vicar of the quiet town. Mr. Runcie has combined several short mysteries that span a few months in the lives of Sidney and his brother and sister. He has a weekly backgammon game with Inspector Geordie Keating, who values Sidney’s help in solving crimes. All the while, the bachelor vicar feels that he cannot deny his friends’ or sister’s requests to “look into the matter,” but begins to feel guilty about not being a more attentive priest to his parishioners and devote more time to his calling…Slow paced and thoroughly English.

Canadian author, Frances Greenslade, has written a very evocative debut novel, shelter, from the point of view of a young girl.

Maggie, the younger of two sisters, tells their story from 1967, when they are seven and eight, to 1975. They live in the “bush” of British Columbia with several Indian tribes for neighbors. Their dad, Patrick, is a logger and on weekends takes only Maggie, not older Jenny, camping. From him she learns about making an adequate shelter (lean-to, tepee, or rock overhang). Whenever their mother feels trapped or doesn’t like her husband’s friends, she takes both girls adventuring in an old station wagon and teaches them the other side of camping – one must have food, water, and fire to survive. After Patrick dies in a logging accident, the family falls apart and the two girls are left to basically fend for themselves…shelter was my favorite of the three.

***

These movies have been out for a while, but maybe you haven’t seen them or have a different opinion about them…

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” – not for young children. We, especially, did not like the pirate stuff.
Rating:  2 out of 5 stars.

“Magic Mike” – what were we thinking? We were not planning to see this, but Danny’s daughter said we should. No, we shouldn’t have. (Sorry, sweetie.) We are waaayyy too old for that stuff.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

“The Dark Knight Rises” – too long, nearly three hours. Back and forth between boring and action. Too much dialogue and explanatory information. Don’t know whose fault that was. Danny thought there was too much violence. It did have a surprise climax, though, and definitely will make you say “sequel,” by the time it’s over.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

We have no desire to see “Ted” or “The Watch.” The trailers are insulting enough.

[The book review images were supposedly all lined up to the left. I do not know how or why the middle book did not remain there. It messes up the look of the post, but I do not know how to put it back the way I drafted it. I retyped and saved it several times and it still came out this way.]