Life's a Show And We All Play Our Parts

Life has been hectic the last week, what with finishing stuff for Abunai! this weekend and trying not to get swept away by it all.
Luckily surcease from stress is close at hand when I pick the next paperback or hardcover from the never ending pile.

Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones

The story starts off bittersweet, with the entire premise being that it is not a detective novel, but one of acceptation. Young Susie Salmon dies at the hands of her neighbour and the rest of the book is spent with her watching from the heavens, commenting on everybody's actions, even judging them for what they do.
The book continually shifts focus from her family to her classmates and even towards her murderer.
I am truly wondering how Mr. Jackson will turn this into a heart rending film, with the same sort of magical realism that breathes throughout the book.

From literature to penny dreadful


Mitchell Graham - The Fifth Ring

Young boy living in rustic village comes into possession of a ring of great power, which reveals its powers to him bit by bit.
Sounds familiar? That was exactly what I thought when I picked it up from the bargain bin.
I started reading it out of sheer curiosity, trying to figure out whether it was as plagiaristic as I suspected. Unfortunately it was, but it reminded me more of Jordan's first book than Tolkien's. Fortunately, you can get through it quite quickly, making it an amusing read if you have the patience to read a rehash.