Legend

After Sunday’s couple hours of back-breaking (I guess more like back-twinging) work drafting my 2014 book preview post I treated myself to an hour and a half of unadulterated nostalgic fun in this great 80’s classic. Legend is a fantasy film from Aliens’ director Ridley Scott starring Tom Cruise (pre-Top Gun), the beautiful Mia Sara (pre-Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), and Tim Curry. The film was one of a number of fantasy films that came out in the mid-80's, including two enduring favorites of mine, Labyrinth with David Bowie and The Neverending Story (“Artax! Fight against the sadness Artax!”; ugh, that darn horse gets me every single time). This film was way ahead of its time as far as genre given today’s hits like the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, and even with its 80’s special effects, I’d still take it over the Avatar’s of today any day.

Legend is at its heart a fairy tale; a story of good vs. evil, darkness vs. light, and innocence vs. sin. It tells of a time when light ruled the world, forcing the Lord of Darkness (Curry) to retreat into the shadows to plot for the day when he could banish light forever and roam the earth freely in his return to power. But goodness and light lives in the hearts and souls of the purest of creatures, unicorns, protected by Jack (Cruise) who is pure of heart and lives amongst the forest creatures. Jack’s only weakness is the beautiful Princess Lily (Sara), whom he loves as deeply as she loves him. Darkness knows that he can cast the land into darkness and rule for all of eternity if he can just find one of those pure unicorns and take its magical horn; with that goal in mind he sends out his trusty goblin Blix, whose heart is black and full of hate (“black as midnight, black as pitch, blacker than the foulest witch”) to track down and capture the creature.

In his love for Lily, Jack innocently but foolishly does the forbidden and brings her to see the last pair of unicorns in his care, unaware that Blix and his minions are also tracking their prey. Taking advantage of Lily’s sinful touch of one of the trusting creatures, Blix shoots a poisoned dart at the mare, trapping her and taking her horn, casting their magical world into darkness and eternal winter. Horrified that her sin has helped trap the mare, Lily follows the foul Blix and attempts to protect the second unicorn but is instead taken captive and brought to Darkness’ lair where he will take her as his bride. Redemption is in Jack’s hands though for he can save his true love and restore light by defeating Darkness and returning the unicorn’s horn and its power thereby restoring harmony to the universe once again. Relying on the help of Gump, the elf and a fairy or two, Jack sets out on a brave quest that will pit him against the vilest of beasts, bringing about a struggle between good and evil and heaven and hell.

I love this film. Is it perfect? No. There is hardly any memorable dialogue (other than one or two pithy quotes from Lord Darkness), great acting or action for that matter, but it somehow still manages to tell a memorable story and visually it’s stunningly beautiful. Each shot of the enchanted forest within Jack and Lily’s kingdom features soft hazy light and falling fairy dust or snow that gives off a dreamy, ethereal-look full of splendor. You can readily believe that a princess and unicorn could live amongst such beauty. The eternal struggle between good and evil is perfectly captured in the tale which will readily put viewers in mind of another beautiful setting (the Garden of Eden) and innocent man and woman (Adam and Eve) who fell under temptation’s spell and whose sin brings about dire consequences.

While the acting isn’t anything to write home about, the casting was nonetheless perfect in my estimation. Cruise did convey a wholesome bravado that you’d expect from a knight or fey being off to slay dragons, and while he didn’t have any soul-stirring romantic lines to bestow on his true love, he did stare very prettily into her eyes. Sara’s fragile beauty was the perfect foil to Lord Darkness’ grotesque countenance, and her winsome smiles for Jack effectively portrayed her as an innocent seductress not fully aware of the power in her hands. Curry was unrecognizable in his role as Darkness but as the more seasoned professional in the cast, he delivered his lines with such apparent relish and glee – savoring every naughty word and uttering them with such undisguised menace – that as a viewer you couldn’t help but enjoy his onscreen presence, big horns and all.

Despite the 80’s caliber special effects which are of course nowhere near those of today’s CGI laden fantasies, Curry’s make-up still stands out to this day as pretty unforgettable and frightening and don’t even get me started on the unicorns. They are breathtakingly perfect and if you were to tell me they were real, I would believe you; everything about them was magical. Check out the screen shot below to see what I mean.

Lest I forget, one of my favorite things about the film was the great soundtrack from Tangerine Dream, and in particular the final song in the film, "Loved by the Sun." It is, outdated term or not, the bomb.

Legend is a simple yet beautiful tale filled with wonder and magic. As the song says, “Legends can be now and forever. Teaching us to love for goodness sake.”

The First Phone Call from Heaven

The First Phone Call from Heaven is the new novel from Mitch Albom, the acclaimed author of Tuesdays with Morrie and For One More Day. In this wonderfully riveting new novel, Albom ponders a compelling scenario; What if the dead could communicate from beyond? Would it ease our sorrow to know that they are at peace? Would it bring you joy or open old wounds, never quite giving us closure? If your phone rang today, would you believe? The truth of his tale lies within each of us for as Albom eloquently states, “What happened next depends on how much you believe.”

It’s September in Coldwater, a small town near Lake Michigan when the first calls arrive; Tess Rafferty gets a call from her mom – “I’m here safe and sound” she says, like she used to when she'd call after an extended trip so Tess wouldn’t worry; Katherine Yellin hears from her sister Diane – “It’s better than we dreamed, Kath.”; and Jack Sellers, the police chief, hears from his son Robbie, whom he lost during a tour of duty. Each rejoices in hearing those long lost voices and the simple, yet brief reassuring messages about the joys of heaven. Word quickly spreads throughout the small town and a few more lucky souls confess to receiving calls. A total of seven Coldwater residents announce their good fortune – mothers, daughters, sisters and friends – reunited again from the great beyond.

Sullivan “Sully” Harding, recently released from jail after being unjustly imprisoned for ten months is happy to be in his old hometown and reunited with his son Jules. Sully is adjusting to freedom and to the loss of his beloved wife Giselle, who died after a long coma during his incarceration. “You have to start over” they tell him, but he knows that life isn’t a board game on which you can hit reset, and that he isn’t really starting over, rather “continuing without.” Struggling to find a job and settle into his new life with his son, Sully hears of the phone calls as does Jules who pines to hear from his mother. When a teacher gives Jules a plastic phone and tells him he too could get a call from heaven, Sully fumes at the outrage of giving a child false hope and becomes determined to prove that this all a huge hoax.

As the news spreads and the world hears of Coldwater, the press, protesters and faithful invade the small town as more calls are received and the number of doubters and believers grow. Relying on his training in the Navy, Sully sets about collecting and analyzing information on those that received the calls – methodically and systematically looking for connections or a pattern to prove to the world – and to himself – that “dead is dead” and heaven doesn’t exist.

This was such a great book. It offers something for believers and skeptics alike; presenting the innate goodness of most people as well as those few greedy opportunists who never pass up an opportunity to make a buck. Its simple tale can be taken at face value as merely a compelling mystery and heartwarming story or as a reaffirmation of your faith in God and heaven and what awaits us beyond this earthly realm. At its heart it is a story about loss, hope and forgiveness.

Through its numerous characters, Albom offers an insightful look at different viewpoints in regards to faith and heaven without ever being preachy. Tess’ joy and shock at hearing from the mother she so deeply loved and cared for through her years with Alzheimer’s so deeply mirrored what my own sentiments would have been that it brought tears to my eyes. Given my faith, I felt for Sully’s doubts but could totally understand them given his heartbreak and loss. During the trials and tribulations of life, you can turn to your faith as a source of strength and comfort or your faith can be shaken by the senselessness of life’s pain and suffering. My faith has always brought me peace and when I lost my mom and best friend, it was my wholehearted belief in God, heaven and the thought that one day we'll be reunited with our loved ones that bolstered and sustained me. I firmly believe in God's golden rule to do unto others as you'd have them do unto you and it is a driving force behind my will and need to do for others; though faith isn't a pre-requisite or requirement for being kind.

An additional interesting aspect of the book is that Albom artfully weaves throughout the novel snippets of information about Alexander Graham Bell, credited with inventing the first telephone. He notes “the news of life is carried via telephone. A baby’s birth, a couple engaged, a tragic accident on a late night highway – most milestones of the human journey, good or bad, are foreshadowed by the sound of ringing” hence Bell's role in this story. We learn that both Bell’s mother and wife were deaf and communicating with them earlier in life played a key role in his later development of the phone; and how Bell’s experiments yelling into a dead man’s ear helped him to understand that if sound could vibrate an electrical current, then words could travel as far as electricity; and as such how in truth, “the dead were already part of the telephone, two years before anyone saw one.”

This sentimental and uplifting story is a true delight. I loved both the page-turning mystery which piqued my curiosity and its thoughtful resolution, as well as its unique and thought-provoking premise. Believer or skeptic every reader will enjoy this Albom winner that poignantly reminds us that “heaven is always and forever around us, and no soul remembered is ever really gone.”

Reading Ahead: 2014 Book Preview

A new year is here and along with some lousy weather its also brought with it another chance to travel to new worlds, meet new friends, and learn something new - maybe about yourself - all in the comfort and safety of your own home in the pages of a book. Last year was a banner year for me as a reader with over 40 books read over the span of the year, setting the bar pretty high for 2014 and a possible repeat. In anticipation of discovering this year's Doctor Sleep or Gone Girl, I decided to compile a list of upcoming releases to add to my reading list. I had hoped to compile a list by cherry-picking the most interesting selections from already compiled online lists, but the few lists I found offered high-brow selections which weren't necessarily my cup of tea; none of the mysteries, thrillers or compelling dramas that I normally gravitate towards.

Taking matters into my own hands, I decided to create my own list, so taking advantage of yesterday's deep freeze and forecaster's threats of icy roads I camped out in front of my laptop for a couple of hours and went through close to 1,000 titles from Amazon's coming soon list in order to find just the right ones to tide me (and you; us) over for the first half of the year (you're welcome!). I found a perfect rainbow of genres, topics, and themes; from mysteries, thrillers, horror, young adult, medical drama, humor and I think even romance. Each title and description inspires some giddy anticipation on my part. I hope that there's something that captures your imagination and interest as well.

January
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (January 7th)
Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women...read more.

The Kept by James Scott (January 7th)
In the winter of 1897, a trio of killers descends upon an isolated farm in upstate New York. Midwife Elspeth Howell returns home to the carnage: her husband, and four of her children, murdered. Before she can discover her remaining son Caleb, alive and hiding in the kitchen pantry, another shot rings out...read more.

The Last Dead Girl by Harry Dolan (January 9th)
On a rainy night in April, a chance encounter on a lonely road draws David into a romance with Jana Fletcher, a beautiful young law student. David would like to know her secrets, but he lets them lie—until it’s too late. When Jana is brutally murdered...read more.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (January 14th)
This second novel in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island...read more.

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen (January 28th)
Still Life with Bread Crumbs begins with an imagined gunshot and ends with a new tin roof. Between the two is a wry and knowing portrait of Rebecca Winter, a photographer whose work made her an unlikely heroine for many women...read more.

This Dark Road to Mercy to Wiley Cash (January 28th)
After their mother's unexpected death, twelve-year-old Easter and her six-year-old sister Ruby are adjusting to life in foster care when their errant father, Wade, suddenly appears. Since Wade signed away his legal rights, the only way he can get his daughters back is to steal them away in the night...read more.

February
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan (February 4th)
When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” This meant nothing to Kelly, who left childhood sure that her mom with her inviolable commandments and proud stoicism—would be nothing more than background chatter for the rest of Kelly’s life...read more.

Cell by Robin Cook (February 4th)
The smartphone is poised to take on a new role in medicine, no longer as a mere medical app but rather as a fully customizable personal physician capable of diagnosing and treating even better than the real thing. It is called iDoc. George Wilson’s initial collision with this incredible innovation is devastating. He awakens one morning to find his fiancée dead in bed alongside him, not long after she participated in an iDoc beta test...read more.

Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster (February 4th)
Reagan Bishop is a licensed psychologist who stars on the Wendy Winsberg cable breakout show I Need a Push, Reagan helps participants become their best selves by urging them to overcome obstacles and change behaviors. Despite her overwhelming professional success, Reagan never seems to earn her family’s respect. Her younger sister, Geri, is and always will be the Bishop family favorite...read more.

The Martian by Andy Weir (February 11th)
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone...read more.

The Bear by Claire Cameron (February 11th)
While camping with her family on a remote island, five-year-old Anna awakes in the night to the sound of her mother screaming. A rogue black bear, three hundred pounds of fury is pouncing on her parents as prey. At her dying mother's faint urging, Anna manages to get her brother into the family's canoe and paddle away. But when the canoe runs aground on the edge of the woods, the sister and brother must battle hunger, the elements,...read more.

White Space by Ilsa J. Bick (February 11th)
Seventeen-year-old Emma Lindsay has problems: a head full of metal, no parents, a crazy artist for a guardian whom a stroke has turned into a vegetable...Then she writes "White Space," a story about these kids stranded in a spooky house during a blizzard. Unfortunately, "White Space" turns out to be a dead ringer for part of an unfinished novel by a long-dead writer. The manuscript is a loopy Matrix meets Inkheart story in which characters fall out of different books and jump off the page. Thing is, when Emma blinks, she might be doing the same and, before long, she's dropped into the very story she thought she'd written...read more.

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (February 11th)
West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, until she wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace...read more.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman (February 18th)
Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the sinister impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a Coney Island boardwalk freak show that thrills the masses. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man taking pictures of moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River...read more.

March
Panic by Lauren Oliver (March 4th)
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of twelve thousand people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never thought of herself as fearless...read more.

We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (March 6th)
Meet the Cooke family: Mother and Dad, brother Lowell, sister Fern, and our narrator, Rosemary, who begins her story in the middle. She has her reasons. “I spent the first eighteen years of my life defined by this one fact: that I was raised with a chimpanzee,” she tells us. “It’s never going to be the first thing I share with someone. I tell you Fern was a chimp and already you aren’t thinking of her as my sister. But until Fern’s expulsion, I’d scarcely known a moment alone. She was my twin, my funhouse mirror, my whirlwind other half, and I loved her as a sister.”...read more.

April
I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark (April 1st)
A Manhattan ER doctor is brazenly murdered in front of his young son in a city playground. Five years later, his killer is still at large. Meanwhile his widow, Laurie Moran, is now an award-winning TV producer. Laurie and her TV crew have just received the green light to produce a new “cold case” series. Revisiting unsolved crimes...read more.

Worst.Person.Ever by Douglas Copeland (April 3rd)
A deeply unworthy book about a dreadful human being with absolutely no redeeming social value. Raymond Gunt, in the words of the author, "is a living, walking, talking, hot steaming pile of pure id."...Even though he really puts the "anti" in anti-hero, you may find Raymond Gunt an oddly likeable character...read more.

June
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (June 14th)
In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. The killer escapes...read more.

That Night by Chevy Stevens (June 17th)
Eighteen-year-old Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, were wrongly convicted for the murder of her younger sister. Seventeen years later she returns home, ready to move on with her life, but she can't. Ryan is convinced he can uncover the truth...read more.

Saving Mr. Banks

With no hangover to recover from, parties to attend, errands to run or chores to do, New Year's Day proved a total "me" day; I slept in late - despite falling asleep early the night before, well before the witching hour of midnight; I putzed around the house for a while, read a book and when I got bored of my own company, I headed off to visit my old friend, the movies, to catch Disney's Saving Mr. Banks starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson. The film focuses on the real-life events surrounding Walt Disney's 20-year struggle to woo author P.L. Travers to grant him rights for a film adaptation of her popular children's novel, "Mary Poppins."

Having promised his young daughters that he would bring their favorite book to the big screen, Walt persevered year after year until in 1961 facing financial struggles Pamela Travers - Mrs. Travers but never Pamela - cedes to Walt's requests and her lawyer/agent's insistence and travels to Los Angeles for a two week visit during which she'll meet with Walt, as well as screenwriters and songwriters to hash out details on the film since she's got final say on every detail including absolutely NO animation (I guess she caved on the penguins), and to sign on the dotted line granting Walt rights to take the Banks off the page and onto film screens everywhere, where it would ultimately become one of our most enduring and beloved children's movies of all time.

Mrs. Travers proves to be a grumpy curmudgeon who finds fault with every note in a song, mustache on a leading man, and even the pears in the hotel gift basket which she chucks into the pool. As Disney struggles to please the uncompromising author, Travers merely offers the statement that the Banks are family as a form of explanation (unfortunately Disney doesn't fully grasp the truth of that statement, yet), and she shudders at their erroneous assumption that Poppins role was to save the children. (You can almost see her wheels turning - if they can't even get that right, how on earth can she entrust them with her most treasured and beloved creation). Weighed down by sad memories of the past, Travers returns home - papers unsigned, but Disney isn't so easily dissuaded and after a stumbled upon revelation he finally hits on the key to the skittish author's acquiescence by looking back on his own troubled and painful childhood and realizing that letting go of the past and its regrets requires more than just a catchy tune.

I wish I could say I loved this film; I had the best intentions to but it proved such a departure from my original expectations that I couldn't reconcile my sentiments between the two and will have to settle instead for admiration for a compelling story and great acting. I hadn't read any reviews so I based my movie going decision strictly on the Disney brand and the actor's names above the title. I went in expecting a lighthearted romp filled with Disney cheer, foot-tappingly catchy tunes and some laughs (it's PG-13, it's Hanks, what else would you expect?), but instead I found the film sad - heartbreakingly so at times - though it does have a few chuckles. It goes without saying that I did not walk out of the theater humming a merry tune or donning a goofy (no pun intended) smile. The movie isn't so much about Mary Poppins as it is about P.L. Travers. It is not so much about the making of a classic film, as it is a sad look at the awful weight of regrets and what ifs adults sometimes carry from their childhood that shape their lives.

The story offers a dual narrative; splitting the scenes between the P.L. Travers Poppins-saga with Disney in Los Angeles which is fun and light and where some of the chuckles come in, but flashes back and forth to Travers' childhood in Australia. An initially winsome tale of a young girl filled with dreams and whimsy and her beloved charming father, Travers Goff (played Colin Farrell) who dotes on her and encourages her to dream, to fly. The illusion of the perfect father quickly fades though as the movie progresses and we see him for what he is, a rootless drunkard who drags his young family from town to town as he loses each job and are somberly privy to the consequences of his actions on those he loves. As the story builds, we are witness to Travers present dilemma but also the memories which haunt her and color her every decision; the disillusionment and heartbreak which shaped the woman she's become - one filled with pain and regret she's yet to let go.

The acting was brilliant, as would be expected given the talent of such stars as Hanks and Thompson. Hanks brings the usual everyman charm he does to most his roles and makes the larger than life persona of Disney more than just a caricature of the man; giving him humor and heart. Thompson strikes the perfect balance in her performance; delivering the snappish lines of the strident woman not willing to bend with a condescending sneer, as well as bringing you to tears as her own tears bear witness to the fragile soul haunted by the past. The supporting cast was equally talented with Farrell offering a standout performance in the flashback storyline and even more so, Annie Rose Buckley as Ginty; there was such substance and weight to her performance, especially for one so young.

I guess the question is; thumbs up, thumbs down; see it or don't see it? Thumbs up and see it. Saving Mr. Banks is a moving and poignant film with memorable and evocative performances, especially from Thompson whom I'd be shocked if she doesn' get an Oscar nomination; but go with your eyes wide-open for what to expect and even though it's Disney, don't bring young kids.

Doctor Sleep

In Doctor Sleep, the master of horror, Stephen King, revisits his classic The Shining and its memorable redrum-uttering character, Dan Torrance. The book picks up after the horrors of the Overlook Hotel have left Wendy and Danny Torrance physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred. Wendy suffers with back injuries that will plague her until the end of her life and thanks to his shining Danny is still haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel; including Mrs. Massey from Room 217 who pays an early unexpected visit, "she was sitting naked on the toilet with her legs spread and he pallid thighs bulging. Her greenish breasts hung down like deflated balloons...She saw him, and her lips stretched back in a grin...she was smiling the way you do when you see an old friend. Or, perhaps, something good to eat." Danny's early saving grace proves to be Dick Halloran, the Overlook's ex-chef whose own shining had fortuitously brought him back to the Overlook to check on the Torrance's in time to help save Winnie an Danny. Now Dick uses his own shining and childhood past to teach Danny that "some spirits - angry spirits mostly - won't go on from this world, because they know what's waiting for them is even worse" and shares a secret gift to use on ghouls like Mrs. Massey and the like.

As the years pass, Danny - now Dan - carries the baggage of his childhood as well as his father's demons, coping with each with alcohol, drugs and violence. After hitting rock bottom through a decision that will weigh on his soul for years to come, he drifts from state to state; still drinking, but sometimes helping people, mostly old people, until the day he boards a bus that brings him to Frazier, New Hampshire. Dan knew that "you take yourself with you, wherever you go" but it seems the angels were on his side this time for finally in Frazier Dan not only finds true friends; a job at a hospice where his shining helps afford a peaceful final passage to his dying patients, where he's coined by staff and patients with the moniker "Doctor Sleep"; but most importantly an A.A. community that redirects the course of his life and helps him to finally find a measure of peace. Then one day during one of the early A.A. meetings, while still feeling breakable and "almost skinless" he writes a single word in his notebook "ABRA". What it meant he didn't know at the time, though he would soon find out.

Abra Stone was in fact born only miles away from Dan and also blessed with the shining, though if Dan's shining was a flashlight, Abra's was a lighthouse. The cosmic connection which brings these two special beings together will grow over the years, and as Abra grows from infant to toddler to little girl the two will communicate with each other without actually meeting; each an ethereal presence in the other's life - one they might not understand but treasure all the same. As Abra blossoms though into a beautiful teenager of thirteen an evil force grows, the True Knot; a tribe of unhuman beings who have lived for generations upon generations and whose sustenance comes from the steam of shining children tortured to death ("the more they hurt them before, the stronger the stuff is.") When Abra makes a connection with one of their victims and by extension their enigmatic leader, Rose the Hat, they will feel an unexpected fear and stop at nothing to discover the threat. Facing a life or death struggle, Abra will turn to her lifelong friend and ally, and Dan will be forced to join a battle between good and evil that will reacquaint him with the nightmares and monsters of his past.

Despite its hefty 500+ page length, I loved this book. It was a riveting thriller that kept me up until the wee hours on more than one occassion as I raced to discover the dark secrets of the vile and murderous True Knot and the cat and mouse game between them and Abra. King uses every one of those 500 pages wisely; building slowly and deliberately, though never ploddingly, towards its thrilling climax. He fleshes out each character, providing more than the bare bones and offers depth and insight into what makes each tick - past and present, hopes and fears - and in doing so makes the reader feel a deeper connection to each; love or hate, but definitely not indifference.

As for the characters, my heart went out to Dan and his painful battles with both his otherwordly demons but also the bogeyman very much of this world and partially of his own making - his alcoholism. In spite of being a thriller/horror, King doesn't slack on this important aspect of the story, and offers an honest and insightful look at the everyday struggles of someone fighting addiction and offers a kind of love letter to A.A. and the salvation it offers Dan (and based on the "Author's Note" at the end of the book, the salvation it offered King himself). Abra's character is a bright light in the book; a typical teenager in many respects yet gifted with all of the courage of Joan of Arc and the wisdom of someone well beyond her years. Brave and sometimes reckless, Abra inspires a similar heroism from Dan; a heroism always there just slightly beaten down by life. I was equal parts intrigued and repelled by Rose the Hat, Snakebite Andi, Crow Daddy and Silent Sarey to name a few of the True Knot; each an evil perversion of nature, yet some with tragic backstories that pluck an unwanted twinge of sympathy and compassion for the victims they'd once been and the horrors that shaped them into the hellish abominations they'd since become.

As suspenseful and memorable as I found the course of events which lead to the taut and spellbinding epic final confrontation, as well as Abra and Dan's jaw-dropping use of their powers, I was equally moved by the quieter poignant scenes where Dan uses his shining with the hospice patients. There was such gentleness and reverence in the depiction, that you felt like an intruder in a private almost sacred moment.

What else can I say, other than read it! I found more thrills than scares, though it did take me a little longer to get to sleep after each reading; oh, and I'll never look at an RV quite the same way again. Overall, King shines (sorry about the lame pun) with this brilliant sequel that reasserts his status as the godfather of scare and highlights in his tale the redeeming power of love, family and hope.

Looking Forward to 2014 Movies

From left to right: The LEGO Movie, Non-Stop, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Noah

It’s only January 2nd but I was already hankering for a sneak peek at this year’s round of movies, so I rounded up this list of 2014 films (with links to trailers, if available) which I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears open for as they make their way to my local theater. There’s quite a smorgasbord of films; from comedy, drama, thrillers, animated and action films, and a few sequels thrown in for good measure. By the way, the list also features four film adaptations of best-sellers which I read and loved; with a few exceptions, the books are usually way better than the film, so why not take this time to catch up on some reading before they hit the big screen.

Hopefully there’s a couple movies that meet your fancy. For a more complete list of 2014 films, you can check out this Wiki page on 2014 in film.

The LEGO Movie (February 7). I’m sure you guys saw my Must See post about this movie. Looks like tons of fun. Like I said before, can’t wait.

The Monuments Men (February 7). The true story of a hand-picked group of art experts chosen by the U.S. government to retrieve artwork stolen by the Nazis; stars Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Murray, to name a few. You had me at George.

Winter's Tale (February 14). A fantasy romance with time travel, a tragic love story and Colin Farrell battling Russell Crowe; I’m game.

Non-Stop (February 28). Liam Neeson stars as a U.S. Air Marshal trying to save passengers on a flight from an unknown terrorist. Looks like Taken but on a plane; a lot of non-stop action and guns.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Limited) (March 7). The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune told in Wes Anderson’s usually quirky fashion. Anderson usually delivers so I’ll definitely be checking this one out.

Noah (March 28). An updated take on the Biblical tale of Noah as he suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge and takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood. I like Crowe despite himself, so I’m looking forward to what will undoubtedly be a very dramatized version of the traditional Bible story.

Rio 2 (in 3D) (April 11). Rio 2 finds Jewel, Blu and their three kids leaving their domesticated life in that magical city for a journey to the Amazon. I loved the first movie so it will be like catching up with old friends.

Maleficent (in 3D) (May 30). Disney’s retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale as told through the eyes of the wicked fairy godmother. It will be interesting to see if they can do for Sleeping Beauty what Wicked did for the Wizard of Oz.

The Fault in Our Stars (June 6). The tragic love story about two teenagers who meet in a cancer support group. The book was absolutely beautiful and perfect; sad, funny, and sad again. I’m curious about the movie yet scared that they’ll screw it all up. Do yourself a favor and read the book before you see the movie. You won’t be disappointed, but you will cry. You’ve been warned.

22 Jump Street (June 13). Jenko and Schmidt are back undercover, this time at college, trying to stop the spread of more drugs. Despite the crass and sometimes infantile humor, I loved the first film and will go back to school for these two.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (in 3D) (June 13). Jay Baruchel is back as Hiccup with his trusty and adorable dragon Toothless as another threat is on the horizon. Oh, I loved the first film. I’m not sure why, I’m not big on dragons or Vikings, but loved Hiccup’s uncertainty and struggle for acceptance.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (July 11). Caesar is back in this follow-up to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This film supposedly focuses on the war between the growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar and a band of human survivors. I like the dark ominous tone set by the trailer; hopefully this sequel delivers.

The Giver (August 15). Jeff Bridges stars as the Giver in this film adaptation of the classic young adult novel by Lois Lowry. Youngsters probably read this book in high school; I personally read it like a bazillion years ago, but I know I enjoyed it and not only want to see the film but read the book again too.

Gone Girl (October 3). This is the film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-seller about a wife who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, and her husband who becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. The book was great which sets a pretty high bar for the film, which stars Ben Affleck in the hubby role (not necessarily the best casting, I think). Ben's performances are hit or miss (hoping for Argo-caliber and not Gigli) so I’m going in not expecting much but hope to be happily surprised.

Dumb and Dumber To (November 14). Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne are back (and hopefully better than ever) in this follow-up to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. I feel old! It’s been twenty years since Lloyd’s “Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?” This will undoubtedly be as dumb and funny as last time.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (November 21). Ala Twilight and Harry Potter, filmmakers decided to split the last book in the Hunger Games series into two films (you gotta milk that cash cow), so we’ll have to visit Katniss and Peeta twice more before we can put this to rest. Catching Fire delivered so I’m hoping this won’t be the exception.