The Aeronaut's Windlass

The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass written by Jim Butcher.

Truthfully I found most of this book very slow - it finally picked up over half way through the book and the only thing that kept me reading that much was Butcher's name.  The characters just don't have the same type of personality or character that his characters in the Dresden books have - this is the books main failing.  The other main failing is that I needed more detail of the world the characters lived in.  I never got a good idea of what this world was about and it needed more detail there because the world is a main character in the story.  This lack of character with the world really hurt the story because it's a world these characters inhabit so it needs to be a primary focus.  It needs to feel real and lived in, neither of which ever happened with this book. 

The over all idea of the story I really liked but nothing ever seemed to support this over all idea of steampunk and other creatures in the story.  They all felt like ideas not fully formed.  

I did finish the book and will most likely continue the series but I won't be seeking out the new book when it first comes out.  I'll be reading it at my leisure after it comes out.

Furious 7

Furious 7 directed by James Wan, starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordan Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Dwyane Johnson, and Kurt Russell.

An action movie franchise that has been saved and survived by sticking to the main theme of family.

All the action scenes and story line is completely over the top but I found myself not caring in the slightest as they movie sticks to the main focus of the series - family.  I like how this series has created some interesting characters to follow up on this theme, along with people I wouldn't mind hanging out with.  Another thing this series has been good at is giving the viewer a diverse group of people consisting of different cultures all with two common bonds - cars and family.  But this series has done interesting things in reviving it's own life from a standard cop and robber story into turning the story around into heist movies.  It has been all the better for it as these heist stories make more sense and give more flexibility with the themes and characters than just chasing each other around town. 

Entertaining and worth a watch.

The Fault in our Stars

The Fault in our Stars written by John Green.

I finally read this book after all they hype had passed over it and I've got say, it was a very good read with some well defined characters.  It's also not your typical romantic type of story or youth orientated story considering the two main characters are dealing with cancer and either have cancer or have dealt with it.  Right out of the gate it opens up with these themes but ultimately its the characters that sell this story.  Their personality and uniqueness made everything that happens worth while.  A good book with a twist on the romantic story line. 

Blood Rites

Blood Rites written by Jim Butcher.

I've been slowly rereading through the Dresden Files again, this is book #6.  And with each read I'm continually reminded what a wonderful job Butcher has done, not only with world building but in creating a cast of characters that I genuinely like.  Harry Dresden is the main character.  But it's also the secondary and side characters that I like.  He has has infused them with enough personality and quirks that I care about them and want to know more about them.  I don't read many books like this where the background characters are as as interesting as the main character.  Butcher also has this insane gift of not recycling story lines but continuing the over all story line with each book that is published in the Dresden series (now he is on book 14 of this series so far).

With this book Butcher makes a huge revelation in the series and this revelation is cared over in the books that follow but I like how it's not a cheap revelation.  It is a soap opera type of revelation but it doesn't feel tacked on.  It's completely earned as rereading this series has backed this up - Butcher has a master plan, nothing is left to chance or soap opera tactics.  Another thing I like about Butcher is how the talking segments of this book click with life and hold more weight than the action scenes or story line because I like how his characters relate to each other.  I look forward to reading about them talking and relating to each more than I do the action scenes or story lines that follow.  His characters are that rich in detail, that how they relate to each other I want to see happen.

By the ending of this book I can't wait for the next book because I know the dynamics of these characters are going to be changed and I want to see that change take place. They relate to each other is realistic ways, in ways that I think I could hang out most of the characters and just talk about life and nerd stuff.  In a strange way he has made me connect with them just by reading these books.  I've got a glimpse into their lives and lives that have some weight and experience to it because I've gone through the same sort of experience with them in a weird sort of way.

Also make no mistake Harry Dresden and his friends are some of the most original blue collar characters I've come across.   

Pixels

Pixels directed by Chris Columbus, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Brian Cox.

In all honesty this is a terrible film but yet entertaining in a weird sort of way.  Don't get me wrong it is bad, and very bad at that. I still have yet to see an Adam Sandler comedy that is good.  The whole concept is absurd on so many levels as it caters to the slacker-to-the-end that will save the world syndrome.  I mean this film was custom made for Sandler and I think only he could have pulled it off to such terribleness as this film aspires to.

This movie has cult classic and guilty pleasure written all over it as it's destiny will likely be and I've got to admit that those two adjectives will be aptly applied.    

Terminator Genisys

Terminator Genisys directed by Alan Taylor, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emila Clarke, and Jai Courtney.

Absolutely, totally pointless addition to the Terminator series.  I'm not even going to go into how much of a mess this film is because I've got this feeling I could write about it for a long time.  Why is it easier to write about bad films than good films?  Well I'm not going to fall into that trap here.   

Shadows of Self

Shadows of Self written by Brandon Sanderson.

What can I say but a very welcome return to the Mist Born world in a new trilogy.  I didn't realize I was looking forward to this return until I read the book and then understood I had been wanting more of this part of Sanderson's world and I just didn't notice it.  With this book Sanderson continues to establish himself as one of the best writers out there as he seems to weave through all sorts of genres: fantasy, western, steampunk, and buddy cop story with an ease that is simply mind boggling.

He continues the story with the characters originally established in Alloy of Law and further fleshes out the two main characters Wax and Wayne (who is easily one of my favorite characters in all literature - he is a joy to read on paper as his perspective on life is unlike any other character I've ever read).  I really liked the way he explored the character of Steris, letting her explode on the page more than she had in first book.  This was one of favorite parts in the book.

Sanderson continues to be a one of best writers at exploring worlds and not settling for recycling previous story lines and he is not afraid to give answers to questions.  That is a hard thing to come by into today's world of world building where most people seem to only want to hold the cards to everything close their chest and never reveal anything.  Sanderson is very opposite of most writers today in that regard as he also writes what I would call "Comfort Fantasy" not concerned with dark themed, realistic ideas but with only the sole idea being - lets just tell a good story with some good characters. 

Looking forward to the  next two books in the trilogy.