Book Review: Anne Rice: Interview with the Vampire

“It was as if when I looked into his eyes I was standing alone on the edge of the world...on a windswept ocean beach. There was nothing but the soft roar of the waves.”
― Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire

Plot: Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.

This is obviously a classic, what else can I say about it? It has award winning written all over it, and that's not only literally. It's a must read for vampire literature fanatics, no other novel could be compared to this compelling tale of Louis, Claudia and Lestat. It's a definite must read if you still have not read it; it will take you to places you never thought of going to, and experience lavishly an adventure of a lifetime. Call me overrated, but that was what I have been through as I read this book. I'm giving this book five cookies, not only for being a classic, but for taking for a great adventure in the 19th century. :)

Some Thoughts

DID YOU KNOW that most of the successful businessmen in the world do not technically have a high IQ? Instead, they possess a high level of EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT in which they use to, not only keep their business together, but also their employees happy, encouraged and successfull as they are.

Think about it, a good and honest tap on someone's shoulder could make them a better person, and what better way to enjoy their triumph is to be happy for them and not jealous of what they have achieved.

With that, let me share to you what I learned this morning.

I have learned that people compliment you for two things, and it's just either they're secured enough to encourage you, or they're simply jealous of what you have and who you are. Another thing is, being frank would not make you a better person, unless you do it the right way, and the right way is to be objective enough to not hurt a person's feelings.

You can never say that you're objective if your heart and mind are filled with nothing but jealousy towards the person. You will just be simply judging, if not ironically complimenting his or her flaws.

So now, I think a hundred times whenever a person encourages or compliments me. And I think you should do the same.

Ask yourself:

Do they do it simply because they're truthfully happy for me, and wanted me to improve what I already have and/or who I already am?

Or is it the other way around? which is to just gain something from me in return, and/or take advantage of what I can do, only to pass it on as something they did themselves to make them feel secured.

Just some thought to ponder on. :) Happy Sunday to everyone!

Picture credit.

The Godfather

Definitely one of the greatest and well known franchise. I honestly don't know where to start in this review of The Godfather. I just feel that the novel is too awesome and legendary to be critiqued.


The movie was excellent, if that word tops 'great'. But the book is even better! The book gave so much importance to each of the important characters in every chapter, thus making the situation or event even more easier to understand. Add to that the various point of views of the characters whenever the Don sends for them to do him service. Most of the time, the characters were frightened of doing a service that would put their lives at stake, but later on remembering the great service that the Don had done for them, thus ending up doing whatever it takes to repay him.


Every turn of the page is filled with information you definitely don't want to miss at all, or you end up confused. It's not a boring book, seriously, and just like the movie, you would have to keep your eyes open for surprises. Apart from that, the novel would make you go ga-ga over itself, and keep your emotions at bay on certain circumstances, like for instance, Sonny's death, although it came quite fast and ignored by the Corleone's, still lingers even at the end of the novel. The death of the Don, is another thing that would make you really remorseful and, at the same time, scornful about.


Mario Puzo is truly an entertaining author who have written, probably the greatest, masterpiece of the 20th and 21st Century. Forgive me for saying, but this is truly better than Pulp Fiction, and thus it deserves all the honors it has garnered. I would shoot myself to death if I don't give this book Five Cookies.

Flipped

“My heart stopped. It just stopped beating. And for the first time in my life, I had that feeling. ” -Juli

I got to read this book about three years ago after my good friend Chase lent me a copy. The copy was not his, but perhaps he knew that I'm quite of a bookworm and probably he figured that it was a must read, that was why he insisted that I borrow it. I accepted the book anyway and started reading it. Here's the plot overview from Goodreads.com


Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.


I honestly have forgotten about having read this book at all, had I not seen it in GoodReads.com yesterday. But when I saw it again, I remembered the two-perspective love story as I added it to my "read" list. Flipped, the he-said she-said novel written by Wendelin Van Draanen, tells the progressing love story of Juli and Bryce. The word cute is the best way, in my opinion, to describe the novel, and yes, I meant that in a positive way. I mean, with the way the story were told by second graders surely, you cannot think of any other way to describe it. Okay, so there may be other words to describe it, like creative or perhaps absorbing.


Flipped, is a well-crafted light read, it's also very engaging if you ask me. The story literally "flips" from one point of view to another, each chapter tells the point of view of the main characters on certain events and I find it really great as I am up for a lot of character background. I love getting to know the characters I read about. This book is also pretty hilarious, with Juli chasing Bryce, and Bryce running away from her; the story of how they met and how they eventually become friends. The story takes a turn from being hilarious to serious as the characters mature; the struggles of fitting in, coping up with family matters and figuring out emotions are most of the things found in the latter part. Towards the end, the story will give its reader a surprising little flip to funny and significant moment in the lives of the characters.


I personally find this book not only engaging and interesting, but it also makes you feel every emotion of both characters from their point of views, respectively. Also, this way of telling the story gives it clarity, it gives the readers a chance to better understand the story. This book is well suited for (although not restrained alone to) pre-teens. People my age would definitely get nostalgic about their first crush or first love, and most likely, their first kiss. Every turn of the page is another pace in the lives of Bryce and Juli to look forward to. With that, I give this book four cookies.