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It’s complicated: First Blood

Like horror, war stories are last resort entertainment for me. War stories, and horror, are notorious for their “everybody dies,” “life is a gift,” and “nothing about life is a given” final scenes. I steer toward fantasy and romance because of their happy endings and potential to end in a better position rather than to end in blood and misery. I can't get excited about everybody dying. Therefore, I’ve never watched First Blood the movie much less read the book. I know this isn’t a war story, but a veteran returning from war drama is not that far from a war story to me since it contains so much reality that I cannot ignore. But I recently read First Blood …twice. It's my new favorite book. While I couldn’t relate to the events, everything about the book (nope, not the movie)--the characters, the plot, the location, the themes--drew me in, and within the first chapter, I was hooked First Blood made me think because it's complicated . The characters' moral ambig

The perfect adventure: The Hobbit

Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a perfect example of adventure. Everything about the tale is large—the cast, the location, the story. The array of fourteen characters is distinct. No one would confuse the somewhat attractive flirty dwarf with the fat one or the surly dwarf who would be king. Nope, I don’t recall a single name or characteristics beyond the superficial ones—hair color, size, attitude. But were the characters meant to be distinct or just parts of a whole. Excluding Gandolf and Bilbo, personalities reflect societal characters—the brave, the talented, the young, the old, the fat, the leader, etc. Please don’t assume this generalization is bad; in fact, it helped me. The cast is large, and although they are not all primary characters, the dwarves frequently share the screen as a unit. It is easier to understand and accept the group when the individuals are treated generally. In contrast, learning every nuance and backstory of fourteen characters would exhaust and overwhelm me.

Right, yet so wrong: The Hate U Give

{spoilers} As is often the case with dramatic realism, I couldn’t find my words for The Hate U Give . How does one judge reality? How can I comment on a situation that could be any headline in a current newspaper? Because of its “ripped from the headlines” timeliness, the book’s popularity is understandable. People unfamiliar with this struggle are drawn to the well-written that builds empathy and understanding for black men and women’s struggles with police shootings. It is a well-written book—preferable to the movie—that effectively tells the story that Angie Thomas wanted to share. But determining how I feel and what I think of the story is tricky because the plot and characters feel authentic, yet not. So much of Starr and the Carter family is believable. I understand the precarious balance of Starr’s at-home life and her school persona. Her ability to fit into both lifestyles and struggle to maintain her identity without falling into the stereotypes that black girls fall vic

Jurassic Park, a more inclusive Indiana Jones

Is Alan Grant trying to tell us something? Is he Indiana Jones’ more modern cousin? The similarities between the two men are striking. With his authoritative professor air and battered fedora and khakis, Alan Grant was giving off serious Indiana Jones vibes. Like Jones, Alan Grant excavates the secrets of history that “belongs in a museum,” like Jones. He is an engaging professor who lands in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. He even has a blonde companion. However, Jurassic Park shows the viewers that Indiana's story can be different. Equality among the sexes— Jones’ companion screams and panics rather than contributing to their situation. She has less value than the ten-year-old boy and cannot be trusted with anything, not even sit there and look pretty. While Jones’ companion is a pretty, weight around his neck, Grant and Sattler have a different relationship. They're frequently shown shoulder to shoulder. He treats his romantic and professional partner, Dr. Sattler

The ultimate simplicity: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Have you ever experienced that weird what-if moment? You know you’re watching tv and an odd thought pops into your mind: What if snow is just dandruff on the giant we live on? What if a machine burrowed from the ground and flooded the air with water? What if the world is really in a fishbowl? The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy conveys that sleepy, somewhat drunken philosophical feel as it asks its what-if: What if someone demolished Earth to build a highway because our leader was too distracted to notice? Well, some people can hitchhike off the planet. There is such a thing as death by poetry, and a whale can fall from space. The story embraces an appealing “there’s no wrong answer” so just enjoy it attitude. And I enjoy the story because, despite the wild what-ifs, the story remains familiar—ridiculously convoluted bureaucracies, poetry so bad it feels like death, homesickness—while mixed in with the unexpected. Courtesy of https://www.syfy.com/ Part of this story’s appeal—asi

It’s more than romantic: Legally Blonde

Is Legally Blonde a rom-com? I assumed yes; after all, Elle Woods applies to and studies law at Harvard University because her ex-love needs someone serious. Despite his summer reconnection with an old girlfriend, Elle plans to win her lover back. Besides, (spoiler alert for a twenty-year-old movie: she ends up in a happy relationship with a proposal on the way.) However, the story breaks tradition immediately. The audience doesn’t follow Elle as she falls in love with Warner; instead, they’re breaking up. Still, she can have him if she breaks up his current relationship (a rom-com no-no). Still, elements of romance are present, and the main character achieves a happy career and a romantic ending. Plus, the audience quickly discovers this story isn’t about the guy. It’s about the girl. This movie transcends generations and woke culture because of its simple teachings. When Elle realizes her dream marriage to Warner is impossible, her story shifts to life’s most important lessons.

Rom-com redesign: The Bromance Club

I love romance. Sprinkle in a little fantasy and badass warrior-esque characters and I’m hooked for at least a few chapters. But I’m also a rom-com lover, and I loved this novel, and I’m surprised I didn’t see the series before now. Bromance Club lives up to the rom-com formula that every romance lover knows and loves about the genre. The novel doesn’t shy away from it. Since the couple has already met cute and answered the call before the story begins, the romance seems like an easy next step. However, Bromance ’s rejection of the relationship seems more severe since it means the end of a marriage rather than an end to what might have been. Fortunately, they agree to give the relationship a chance and experience the trials that bring them back together. Still, husband and wife reconnected without fixing what was broken, so Gavin and Thea break up, Gavin making a sacrifice that they need to improve, or their marriage is doomed. Yet, when positive steps are taken, a big declarat

I get it, but I don’t…: The Hunger Games

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins offers so much that would draw in readers—the unthinkable what if there’s a lottery from which the “winners” must fight to the death whether the competitor is a muscle-bound 18-year-old or a frail 12-year-old. The garish Capital City citizens have so much while some districts (regions) live in abject poverty. (How have they lived with so much when many more live without the basics?) And doesn’t the setting remind the reader of America? I swear I saw some West Virginian mountains. Katniss’s bravery and self-sacrifice are enthralling as she steps in to save her little sister from the fight (But wait, won’t her sister’s name be entered in the lottery again for years to come? Can Katniss volunteer again if Primrose is selected again? Anyway…). All of it makes for a great novel and a blockbuster movie. I purchased the novel because I saw the movie trailer. I read the novel first. Well, full confession, I read a few chapters before I abandoned it for

The Torrance Roller Coaster: The Shining by Stephen King

Horror isn’t my go-to bedtime reading even though I enjoy most genres. As a result, I’ve probably missed many fabulous books, like most of Stephen King’s bookshelf. Yep, despite forty years, a book, and a movie, The Shining is new to me. Sure, I knew the premise because the story has existed so long, but the story is one that I never longed to delve into. Thus, not reading the genre-redefining cult classic became a badge of pride. However, after reading The Shining, I realize I missed out on greatness but not because of the plot—I could have done without the creepy bushes and angry ghosts. And while the enormous empty hotel in the middle of nowhere was unique, its one hundred ten rooms, kitchen, boiler room, etcetera were too much for me to track. I know. I know. Jack's personality and emotional spiral are enhanced by the creepy setting and the murderous plot. I cannot picture The Torrance achieving the depth of character in a meandering drama or a flirty rom-com. Howeve