Queenstacela’s Book Reviews











{August 28, 2008}   Wedding for Bella

This movie I watched last night.  It was a complete surprise because is it a good Scott Baio movie!  This movie reminds me of the Big Fat Greek Wedding flavor, but with Italians.  This was a very good and sad move.  Filed under romantic comedy, which I am unsure of why.  It was originally released with a different name, but a strong plot.  The development of the characters in this storyline was surprising and delightful.  I give this movie a 5 out of 5 stars.



{August 28, 2008}   Vanity Fair

This series I have recently watched was the A&E version.  Let me start by saying the acting and all was superb for this series.  I personally didn’t like some of the characters in the story itself, which is my personal opinion.  There is nothing wrong the series, but my dislike with some of the characters including the main character.  Also the secondary female lead seems to be a victim-like.  My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.



{August 21, 2008}   North and South

This is a BBC series that I have recently watched on Netflex.  It is a four part mini series in which a girl travels with her family north to a mill town.  Her father teaches and her mother ails.  Margaret Hale shows spunk and courage in helping the mill town.  She goes from helping the workers to helping one of the masters.  Mr. Thorton, shown to be harsh from the beginning, one starts to see the methods to his madnesses.  When Margaret suffers great losses, she moves to London with her cousin.  With the mill with money problems, it is hard to see the way out of the mess.  The show ends the happy ending of course, and it makes we want to go pick the book up that this is based on.  Five out of Five stars



I have recently been listening at work to this series on audio. This series is a funny ethnic romantic mystery that proves that Jersey has more than the mob and pollution. It is a hilarious ride through the life of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, her romantic interests Ranger and Joe Morelli along with the escapades with her her new friend Lula. This series (I have listened to all but 13 and 14) is great and I highly recommend it to all. I am currently working to amass this series in paperback, so the rereading can begin! This is top on all stars!



{March 7, 2008}   Mahattan, AZ

This quirky, tongue in cheek sitcom was on TV in the early 90s. This is a great show about a desert town outside of Area 61. There are a lot of great characters in the show: the sheriff, Lon and Lona (the sex maniac gun freaks), the hippy druggy Dr. Bob, the local Vet. Jake Mahattan is a washed up actor of the 70s, and still thinks he is the best. Overall this show is great show. I have watched the first season online, and would not turn down seeing subsequent seasons that may have been aired. I give this show a 4 out of 5 Stars.



{February 3, 2008}   Dead Like Me

Dead Like Me was a two season TV show by the makers of Pushing Daisies (which I will talk about at a later time). The show is about an 18 year girl that didn’t care about anything and started at a temp agency. She ends up dieing that first day on the job. She becomes a Reaper (it is complicated) and all the problems that come with that. It is about her coming to gripes with the reality. This show is brilliant. At the time it was under- appreciated and was cancelled after two seasons. There is talk of a movie which I hope comes to pass. I give this show five out of five stars.



{February 3, 2008}   Bones

Bones the TV show is one of the first I will review. I was a little apprehensive of the show to begin with because it had the actor from Angel in it. I am not saying he is a poor actor, but I have had a bad experience with that show with one of my college roommates. Anyway it pleasantly surprised me. I grew to like the show, much to the dismay of my husband. It can be gruesome at times, so if you don’t have strong stomach don’t watch it at meal time. The show is about a forensic anthropologist who solves crimes with the FBI. There is a lot that you can learn from this show and it is very interesting. I give this TV Show a four out of five stars.



Amazing Gracie is about a half blind, albino, deaf Great Dane dog and her life with the founders of the Three Dog Bakery. This is a touching story that is very sad in parts. It touched me due to the two pups I have in my house. I think any animal lover would love this book. It talks of the owners having issues with the picky eater named Gracie. She had a short life, as most Great Danes do, and it went through her life and it was very inspirational. This book was a five out of five stars.



Emily Climbs and Emily’s Quest

Of the Emily of New Moon series the second and third installments were very well done. They went through her tragic life and into the love and loss of the friends she grew up. It talks of the disappointments that came from her writing, and her giving up her writing all together. It talks of her giving up all chances of love to marry a dear friend. She is known as a flirt at many different occasions. Overall the series ends as classic L.M. Montgomery by with all working out for everyone. Her family learns to appreciate her and she gets the man she loves. The whole series I would say four out of five stars.



Emily of New Moon is one of three books about Emily Byrd Starr. This book opens with her living with her father in a old kind of ramshackle home. He is dying though she didn’t really know it at the time. Her mother Juliet had died four-five years before and came from the great Murray family. When her father dies, and leaves her an orphan, she is taken in by some of her mother’s family at New Moon farm. At first she rebels, but soon finds that she dearly loves the childhood home of her mother. She lives with Cousin Jimmy, who everybody thinks is not quite right, Aunt Laura she loves, and Aunt Elizabeth that is a formidable person to meet. She makes friends and writes all the time. She knows to keep them from Aunt Elizabeth and continues to write. She goes to visit her Great-Aunt and meets more friends. She solves a great mystery. The book closes with her to start writing in a diary in her room. I rate this book preliminary three stars out of five. It may be rated differently after reading the others in the series.



et cetera