Whale Rider

Visually, Whale Rider was a great movie. I had a little trouble following the accents, but it didn't take long to get used to them (I love accents). I wonder how long it took the actors to learn the (chants?) songs they had to sing, and the pitch. Are they supposed to sound that way? Also wonder if there was even one real whale in the entire film. In any case, it's worth watching and I would definitely see it again.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

I saw this movie first, and liked it. Liking the movie usually means checking to see if it was based on a book (and not vice versa) and then deciding whether or not I liked the movie enough to actually read the book. In this case, I did, and don't regret it a bit. This was a very engaging story. Very similar to the movie but as with all books (and as they should be), more detailed, and more intriguing. The style hooked me immediately, and the story stayed with me even when I couldn't continue reading it. I only read during work breaks so there was a lot of time between and I looked forward to every break even more because I couldn't wait to continue the story. That's the mark of a great book for me. It's an endearing tale, and if you liked the movie, you'll love the book. Definitely worth the time.

Blow Fly: A Scarpetta Novel, by Patricia Cornwell

I used to really love this series. This disappointment was lacking a lot of what made the previous Scarpetta novels so good. A plot (and a point), the mystery, the steps taken to solve the mystery, all the technical details thrown in the keep things interesting. I waited so long for this book to finally be released and it was just a big let down. None of the characters seemed much like their previous(ly written) selves. This was a big ego-fest for the author. (Kay Scarpetta's description closely resembles the authors). Cringe-worthy how the characters in this go on and on about how great she (Kay) is, etc. All of these "Scarpetta Mysteries" are supposed to be about her (Kay), yet, she barely plays a role in this. The ending was seriously anti-climactic. It just kind of....stops. Obviously there will be another installment. And I can only hope Kay (the point of these novels to begin with, centered around this one main, once-upon-a-time, very good, very captivating, main character) will be prominently featured (minus the ego-fest please) in the next one.