Entertainment of the Week
Apr. 16th, 2006 10:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rsadelleBook of the Week
I've taken to reading about a book a week. Generally speaking, I read during the week on my lunch break, and then finish the book on Friday night or sometime Saturday, depending on how good the book is.
This week's book was Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn. Let me explain that I don't usually read werewolf books (Get it? She's a werewolf, and her name is Kitty.), but I read a positive blurb about this one, so I picked it up.
If you like Hyena!Xander stories, I think you'll like this book. I was surprised by the treatment of the pack issue. Now, I don't read werewolf books, so maybe it's not unusual for werewolf books to tackle the submission and sexual aspects of the pack relationship, but it sure seemed different from most cheap paperback fantasy novels.
While the show is a good hook to tie the story together, and it is what gives Kitty the confidence to try to move up in the pack, there's too much going on in the book. If it were about Kitty and the radio show, it would be funny and work. If it were about Kitty and the pack struggles, it would be more serious and work. If it were about Kitty searching out the rogue werewolf, it would be a mystery and work. But it's all of that, and more, and it's just too much plot for it to be a really cohesive book. It's still good enough that I'll probably read the sequel and that I picked up Patricia Briggs' Moon Called yesterday.
Movie of the Week
Remember how I said Christian Kane was my new fandom? Well, this week Keep Your Distance finally had no wait and Netflix sent it to me.
I expected the movie to be terrible, and I was quite relieved to find that it wasn't. It was quite mediocre, but it was watchable.
The female lead is played by Jennifer Westfeldt, who co-wrote and starred in Kissing Jessica Stein. The male lead is Gil Bellows from Ally McBeal. Also in the movie: Kim Raver from Third Watch and 24, Stacey Keach, and Gary Anthony Williams from Malcolm in the Middle.
Like Kitty and the Midnight Hour, the movie has too much going on to work very well. Sean (Christian Kane) is stalking Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt). David (Gil Bellows) gets notes and follows them to find that his wife Susan (Kim Raver) is sleeping with someone else--a woman who's topless every time we see her (Jenny McShane). David and Melody become friends. Sean's dad (Stacy Keach) has his assistant of some sort (Elizabeth Peña) investigate Melody and keep an eye on Sean. There's a background plot about the downfall of a senatorial candidate. David's angry assistant Whit (Jamie Harrold) keeps trying to get on the air and swearing at David when he's out of earshot.
I get that they're trying to set up multiple suspects, but it doesn't work so well. There isn't really that much suspense anyway, so they could have narrowed in on one storyline and faded the others into the background.
Chris does get to sing, so that's kind of neat, and Steve Carlson (actual Kane band member) plays one of the other band members. (Me, to the TV as the camera first focuses on him: Steve!) Chris also has a sex scene with Jennifer Westfeldt, which is far too short.
Because Chris is my new fandom, I also tried watching the behind the scenes featurette. There's a reason I don't watch these things. They're awful and boring and I really don't want to hear the people involved in the movie talking about it. Even Chris didn't make it worth it, although there is one moment where he's driving a golf cart and turns back to smile at the camera that would be a great screen cap.
I've taken to reading about a book a week. Generally speaking, I read during the week on my lunch break, and then finish the book on Friday night or sometime Saturday, depending on how good the book is.
This week's book was Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn. Let me explain that I don't usually read werewolf books (Get it? She's a werewolf, and her name is Kitty.), but I read a positive blurb about this one, so I picked it up.
If you like Hyena!Xander stories, I think you'll like this book. I was surprised by the treatment of the pack issue. Now, I don't read werewolf books, so maybe it's not unusual for werewolf books to tackle the submission and sexual aspects of the pack relationship, but it sure seemed different from most cheap paperback fantasy novels.
Alpha's prerogative: He fucks whomever he wants in the pack, whenever he wants. One of the perks of the position. It was also one of the reasons I melted around him. He just had to walk into a room and I'd be hot and bothered, ready to do anything for him, if he'd just touch me.Being that I like Hyena!Xander fic, I did quite enjoy the pack aspects of the book. I also greatly appreciated how funny it is. Kitty accidentally starts a call-in advice show about the supernatural, and her callers are often hilarious.
While the show is a good hook to tie the story together, and it is what gives Kitty the confidence to try to move up in the pack, there's too much going on in the book. If it were about Kitty and the radio show, it would be funny and work. If it were about Kitty and the pack struggles, it would be more serious and work. If it were about Kitty searching out the rogue werewolf, it would be a mystery and work. But it's all of that, and more, and it's just too much plot for it to be a really cohesive book. It's still good enough that I'll probably read the sequel and that I picked up Patricia Briggs' Moon Called yesterday.
Movie of the Week
Remember how I said Christian Kane was my new fandom? Well, this week Keep Your Distance finally had no wait and Netflix sent it to me.
I expected the movie to be terrible, and I was quite relieved to find that it wasn't. It was quite mediocre, but it was watchable.
The female lead is played by Jennifer Westfeldt, who co-wrote and starred in Kissing Jessica Stein. The male lead is Gil Bellows from Ally McBeal. Also in the movie: Kim Raver from Third Watch and 24, Stacey Keach, and Gary Anthony Williams from Malcolm in the Middle.
Like Kitty and the Midnight Hour, the movie has too much going on to work very well. Sean (Christian Kane) is stalking Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt). David (Gil Bellows) gets notes and follows them to find that his wife Susan (Kim Raver) is sleeping with someone else--a woman who's topless every time we see her (Jenny McShane). David and Melody become friends. Sean's dad (Stacy Keach) has his assistant of some sort (Elizabeth Peña) investigate Melody and keep an eye on Sean. There's a background plot about the downfall of a senatorial candidate. David's angry assistant Whit (Jamie Harrold) keeps trying to get on the air and swearing at David when he's out of earshot.
I get that they're trying to set up multiple suspects, but it doesn't work so well. There isn't really that much suspense anyway, so they could have narrowed in on one storyline and faded the others into the background.
Chris does get to sing, so that's kind of neat, and Steve Carlson (actual Kane band member) plays one of the other band members. (Me, to the TV as the camera first focuses on him: Steve!) Chris also has a sex scene with Jennifer Westfeldt, which is far too short.
Because Chris is my new fandom, I also tried watching the behind the scenes featurette. There's a reason I don't watch these things. They're awful and boring and I really don't want to hear the people involved in the movie talking about it. Even Chris didn't make it worth it, although there is one moment where he's driving a golf cart and turns back to smile at the camera that would be a great screen cap.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-17 05:12 am (UTC)and I predict you'll enjoy Moon Called - I finished it a week or so ago, and it's really interesting. an intriguing variation on the standard werewolf/supernatural novel, and contains some twists I didn't predict
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-17 05:26 am (UTC)I loved Patricia Briggs' Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood when I don't like books about men or dragons, so I suspect I will like Moon Called. It's going in my work bag tomorrow morning!