It's Elementary My Dear Viewer

It's been a couple of months since my last book review. Honestly enough, I was at a loss of which book to review. I have so many books I had all ready read I could turn to for a review. My years working on an English degree have seen to that.

Yet, I none of them really served to inspire me into reviewing them. So, I went into a slump for a while only perked up by the fact I would soon visit with The Cinema Chick as a much needed vacation from current pressures.

It was after this nice vacation that I finally managed to get my hands on a book that sparked that flame in me again. Long story short, after a long walk through her local Half Price books I came across this book:

I had before this point read some of Conan Doyle's Sherlock through free ebooks on my Kindle. But I had yet been able to get my hands on a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Seeing this book being sold for only 8 dollars got me very excited and I set to reading it as soon as I had a chance.

To my great surprise and happiness, this book actually contains two stories. The first was actually called A Study in Scarlet while the second was The Hound of the Baskervilles.

So in this review you guys get a double dose.

A Study in Scarlet is a quite crucial piece of literature considering it details the story of how Dr. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes first meet. I was very intrigued by this. Most stories I've read seem to set things up as if everyone all ready has some connection or are just easily settled with the person they come to meet.

This was not really the case here. Dr. Watson finds himself in a dire situation of lack of money with his departure from the military due to injury. He meets a close friend who had heard of a man looking to split the rent of a place with someone having not been able to find anyone suitable to his needs. Thus the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is arranged.

Despite the oddity of the pair and the odd hours and keeping of the household that would drive nearly everyone else batty, the pair finds that the other is not only a decent house mate but that their lives will become tangled together in a way they could not have anticipated. This is Dr. Waston's first viewing of the mind possessed by Sherlock Holmes.A mind that far exceeds anything he could have imagined but finds more than intriguing rather than infuriating as Holmes' past house mates have seen.

Being able to read this for the first time gave me a better appreciation of the history this now legendary pair have together. This story being a great jumping off point to showcase the case The Hound of the Baskervilles where the pair now works together on a new case.

I won't spoil the story for everyone but many people all ready know about the glowing demonic dog and the deaths within the family of the Baskervilles.

The story was a treat to read. You have everything from Waston's perspective as with all the Conan Doyle stories about Sherlock Holmes. Waston is thrust into a position of responsibly in the early stages and has to find his way in a world of crime fighting previously unknown to him.

The style in which it's written gives the reader just enough to hang onto while the drama of the situations are dragged out for their viewing. By the end you are ready to discover how Holmes will uncover the mystery and trap whomever is behind the happenings.

All in all this book is a great read. For those who are Sherlock Holmes fans, this is a crucial piece to read and own for yourself. If you are curious about the realm of Sherlock Holmes then you couldn't do better than this book.

The Return of the King

Welcome to Ink Stained Fingers, the one true home for book lovers everywhere.

As most anyone knows that's even arrived at my blog by chance or accident, the last time I reviewed a book was a while back and I hadn't even finished the series yet like I promised. Well, it's time to make good on my geeky promise to move to the last book in The Lord of the Rings series known as The Return of the King. For those of you looking forward to a review of The Hobbit, fear not. I will come back and review that book just before the movie appears in local theaters to prepare for what should be an epic movie.

However, before I get started on my geeky quest I have finally called my friend, long lost sister, and geek in arms to help me review our first book together. I've spent a few reviews on her blog reviewing old and bad movies. But today she's here to be my geek in arms for this review. Welcome my dear friend The Cinema Chick.

Yes, you caught me on one of the days I'm not drugged up and I'm ready to discuss my (personal) least favorite in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I have my reasons for this, but I'm not at all denying that it's a fantastic ending to an epic trilogy.  So, since I'm a guest on this lovely blog, I'll do what I'm told.  Let's get started, shall we?

Truth be told I had to re-read this book before I jumped into a new review. I knew the basic layout of the story but I didn't want to base my review on the movie version since it is so much different than the book itself.  While things are shifted around in the timeline or edited for the sake of the movie there really wasn't that much actual change done from the book to the movie that harmed the telling of the story in any way.

That being said the book itself does give a lot of information missing from the movie's story line that just fills in some gaps. So if you're a big enough geek like us then reading the book for these extra bits might be worth the effort.

Plus, the book is always better.  Those of you who have only seen the film, bet you don't know why Eowyn and Faramir are standing together at Aragorn's coronation  Or why Sam picks up that little girl after Frodo leaves Middle Earth.  And how many of you know what REALLY happened to Saruman and Grima?  See, these things were left out of the film, but I found them to incredibly important and interesting.  There is just one thing I'd like to get off my chest about the films.

Well, you ARE a movie reviewer at heart my friend so go right ahead.

Arwen is made out to be this romantic heroine but if you've read the book, she's barely present.  She's not that important to the overall plot.  For some reason, Peter Jackson decided we all needed more Arwen, but really, Eowyn is the show stopper.  She took care of her uncle when he was cursed, she secretly fought at the Battle of Pelennor and she killed the Witchking of Angmar.  What did Arwen do?  Not a damn thing.  I know some people out there are going to hate me for not liking her, but I cannot stand Arwen.

These are great points and you are completely right. You see the movie and Arwen has this big role with all of her scenes despite the fact she does little to contribute to the overall ending of the movie. Eowyn is the ultimate female hero in this last book. Unlike Bella of Twilight, when Aragorn doesn't return her affections, when he doesn't heed her advice, and when he ditches her; she does have a time of sadness. But once it's time for the ultimate battle and Merry is told to stand back with her, she takes a stand, hides in the armor of a man and takes the young hobbit Merry into battle with her. 

Heck, even Pippin does more in the book than he actually does in the movie as well. He shows a level of bravery and facing the unknown with an ease that would be hard for others to comprehend despite being separated from his dear friend.

I freaking love Pippin.  He doesn't get enough credit.  True, he starts off insecure and immature, but look at what he does.  He inspires the Ents to go to war.  He fights with the Men in Gondor.  I will admit, one of my favorite scenes from the movie is where Pippin sings to Denethor and scenes from the battle are spliced in.

Everyone has some great changes in their characters throughout the series. They live, learn and grow in ways they wouldn't have if this all had never happened. To this end, I could agree with you Cinema Chick. I don't like Arwen either. She never changes. Never grows. And never becomes something more than a pretty face and a queen to Aragorn's king. Love makes one do crazy things sometimes.

Speaking of Aragorn, in this final book you can really see his transformation sooner than one might think it happens because they only saw the movie. There is a scene in the book where Aragorn is traveling back with the King of Rohan and his army when they are met by a group from Dunedain. It is this point where, in his talks with his kin as he calls them, that he begins to see that his path lies in another way and he has a great duty set upon him to become King. This only happens in the movie when Elrond shows up at the camp the night before they ride to battle to bring the reforged sword and send him on The Paths of the Dead. That moment with Elrond NEVER happens in the book.

Come to think of it, Elrond isn't a huge presence in the book either.  He's huge in the first book when they get to Rivendell and again when the war is over, but he is all over the place here.  By the way, did you know he has twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir?  Yeah, Arwen isn't his only child.  He's got a wife to, Celebrian, the sister of Celeborn.  I know some changes have to be made from page to screen, but I think the sons could have been worked in since they were more important to the plot than Arwen.  So may characters were left out, which bothers me.

And here's a kicker, if the meeting with the group from Dunedain had been added to the movie we would have actually seen Elladan and Elrohir. It was they who joined with Aragorn's kinsman and were carrying the reforged sword from Rivendell to him so that he could depart and head for The Paths of the Dead. Personally, I think it would have been better that way myself.

Well, the only thing that got to me was how confused and muddled the story became.  I'm all for telling 2 stories, but they would change every chapter and I just got sick of having to sort everything out.  One minute we'll be with Merry and Eowyn, then we're with Pippin and Gandalf, then over to Frodo and Sam.  I just hated that.  They wanted to tell everyone's story, I get it, but did it have to be told like that?

Yes, the book did have that one downside. It wasn't fluid. It wasn't easy to follow unless you really paid close attention and were able to recall things you've all ready read. I had a hard time trying to keep everything sorted out. That's the place the movie got it right in being able to make it easier to understand which is why I don't mind so much in the changes that were made.

Needless to say, the book was the basis for all the great scenes, speeches, and characters that the movie was able to bring to life. The writing for the book really gave you the picture in your mind to hold onto while you were being carried through the story. Despite being jerked from one story to the other, the stories themselves were detailed, thought out, and they all had a serious purpose to the story itself.

Then it just got repetitive.  We get it, the journey's getting too hard, it seems like a great time to give up, blah blah blah  Frodo's whining, Aragorn's questioning himself, Merry and Pippin want to go home.  Yes, everyone gets scared, but this goes on and on. Think about it, Aragorn spends the entire book refusing to take the throne then finally, at the end he decides he'll be king.  Frodo does nothing but whine the entire time, so when he gets in the fight with Gollum, I'll admit, I was hoping Gollum would win.

Sam carried some serious weight in the book. Again, I see Sam as another character that was seriously underrated. He stuck by Frodo though EVERYTHING they encountered. Even when he thought his friend had died he knew that the ring still had to be carried on and took the ring. But the second he knew Frodo wasn't dead he pulled on his big boy pants and went in there ready to get Frodo back even if it meant fighting of orcs by himself.

And at least you can take solace in the fact that Gollum at least gives Frodo a reason to complain when he bites his finger off. I personally got a laugh at the end when they make a song about Frodo of the four fingers.

Ok, here's the one huge thing that pissed me off in the adaptation.  The story does not end when the Hobbits return home.  In the book, Saruman has taken over Hobbiton and they have to defeat him in order to get their lives back.  That was one of the best parts of the whoe story because it showed the bravery of the Hobbits.

Yes, that's a HUGE missing plot point in the story. Their world has literally been turned upside down and after this huge ordeal of destroying the the one ring, all Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Frodo have to rely on is each other. It is those four who manage to draw out the other courageous hobbits and get them to fight to take control of the Shire and make it a peaceful and beautiful place.

Once that final battle is complete, only then can they return to the simple comfortable life of living in the Shire while trying to deal with the aftermath of emotions that swarms them. This makes it hard for all of them to simply relax. They are now separate from their own kind simply because they have grown in the way the rest of their kin haven't. They've experienced the world. True the other hobbits experienced battle too but not in the same way these four did. It took the knowledge, strength, courage, and yes even age to give them the ability to fight and win back their home.

So let's face it, Return of the King is a great, albeit confusing story about courage, strength and defeating evil.  It's condensed in the film and a good portion of it is missing, but the overall theme is still there.  The film snob in me says it deserved all 17 Oscars it won, but the book nerd in me wishes Peter Jackson hadn't taken such liberal artistic license with the films.  I love that Sam's daughter is named Elanor and that he becomes mayor.  I especially love what happens with Gimli and Legolas, who just vanish in the film.  

You see, the book tells you what happens to these characters.  Yes, Aragorn dies and Arwen dies a year later.  The Hobbits live to be old men, except for Frodo who is allowed to travel to the Grey Havens. My absolute favorite ending is that Legolas and Gimli build a boat together and later in his life, they sail said boat to the Grey Havens TOGETHER.  Those two changed the relationship between Elves and Dwarves but it's so skimmed over, you'd never know it.

Exactly. Relationships that had be estranged for long periods of time before this adventure were now long lasting friendships and alliances. While I'm not a fan of books that have the "happily ever after" ending, The Return of the King isn't just a story in and of itself. It has to be taken in the whole with everything else before it. This "happily ever after" wasn't just a given. It was fought for tooth and nail. Kings and men and women of all races died to ensure the survival of future generations at the expense of their own. It is that effort that made a "happily ever after" that was earned and one of the few, I think, is deserved for the trials and tribulations.

 And this children, is why you should be reading Tolkien and not Stephanie Meyer.

On this point, I will most certainly agree. If you want a love story go read something else. But if you want a story full of adventure, colorful characters, meaningful pursuits, epic battles, and much more, you can't go wrong with reading some Tolkien. He knows what it means to weave a tale worthy of the price and to create a world that makes you miss it and the characters once you've closed the book. A connection. The same can be said of the Harry Potter series but that's a whole different ball game all together.

To end this three part review, I would actually like to say our impressions of the series as a whole. Is the series something that will stand the test of time and be something that anyone could read and still feel the same passion and excitement that everyone felt when it first came out or is this just something that was exciting for now but later something better will come along that will completely eclipse this work.

What do you think Cinema Chick? 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a can't miss.  It teaches great lessons, is loosely based on Christianity and so many of today's books have been inspired from Tolkien's work.  Some people won't like it because it is long and sometimes it drags, but once you've read the entire thing, it's almost rewarding.  The movies are great, but for the full impact, read the books.  The book is always better.

I have to agree. This series paved the way for many of the great books and movies that have all ready come out and I'm sure the ones that are still to come. It has set the standard for the epic saga that the likes of series like Harry Potter have now found a foothold in the book lover and movie goer's psyche. (Do NOT say the Twilight Saga to me. That doesn't count). I see this series lasting for years to come and I hope in the future that I could share these books with another child to pass on the stories so no one will forget what Tolkien managed to create.

I think that about does it for The Return of the King book review as well as the Lord of the Rings Saga. What say you Cinema Chick any last words to the people?

I'm TheCinemaChick, I'm minty fresh and always remember, the true meaning of what a Q-tip is used for is a mystery.

And I'm Creative Karma, what karmic lesson will I teach next time? Keep a sharp eye out and tuned in. You never know, the next book I might review might be your favorite read.

Fantasy Geeks Unite!

Hello everyone once again.

Yes, it has been a while since my last review. No one can help when real life decides to crash in on the party.

In any case, the majority of my time is now being taken up by an actual job. Now, while this job isn’t the hourly paying kind I figure it’s better than nothing at all. At the current time, I’m writing articles as a Liberal Examiner on Examiner.com.

My income is based completely upon how many hits I receive on my articles. For those of you that don’t know, it’s basically how many times the articles are read. So, in a manner of speaking, I’m entirely counting on readers like you to go and read the articles I type up.

It doesn’t cost you anything to read the articles. You don’t have to create an account or give them any info to read them. If you feel compelled or maybe just curious, stop on by Examiner.com Liberal Examiner to check my articles as they come out.

All the articles are pretty short, 200 to 400 words typically. Not much of a side track. I will go ahead and thank anyone who decides to stop by just to peek since I won’t know if you do or not.

Now, for the real reason this blog exists.

Book reviews.

For those that have read my last blog, you would know that I was reviewing the Lord of the Rings books and that last time it was The Fellowship of the Rings.

And for those who are just as geeky as me, you know it’s time for the review of The Two Towers. This being the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, if you don’t count The Hobbit.

Now, given this book as the next to review, I have to say that though all of the book are very high on my favorite books list, this book is actually not my favorite of the series if I had to put them in some kind of order.

This by no means means that I hate this book. This book along with its companions broke through barriers and managed to create a new world and something original. Most writers assume that nothing can ever be original again but Tolkien proved many people wrong.

By this point in the series, the Fellowship is way underway in their journey to get the ring to Mount Doom to destroy the ring. Though by this point there’s not much of a Fellowship as Frodo and Sam are alone carrying the ring to Mordor while Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are working to save Merry and Pippin from a group of orcs.

To me the book itself becomes slow about this time as they go through various tasks which I won’t spoil for anyone who has managed to somehow not read this series.

It is the slow progression that irks me the most about this book simply because, unlike most “girls” who prefer the romantic comedy and the like, I’d very much rather have some action. And NOT the Michael Bay type action. But that’s a rant for another time.

In this book, the humans who have been conspicuously absent finally get their day in the heat of battle to prove themselves to the other races of Middle Earth. Oddly like in the current decade, the humans have to prove their worth after their predecessors caused the current mayhem to come about.

Once this task is completed with the inevitable battle of epic proportions, now all eyes turn back to the task of hoping that Frodo and Sam are still alive and still possess the ring.

While there are details I have skipped over and things that happened that I didn’t mention, I doubt anyone has the time to read a complete and thorough review of the series.

However, the main point I want to touch on would be that this is the book that serves as the turning point for Aragorn as a character. All this time, he has served as a ranger, a guide, a protector but still not accepting of his bloodline that leads him to the throne of Gondor. The trials he faces beings to internally shift his mindset from a mere ranger to that of a warrior and a leader. As the book progresses, he uses less of his skills as a ranger and more the skills of a diplomat, a warrior, and a strategist.

The Two Towers easily balances the shift between the necessary plot lines without jerking the reader around. It flows from the basic quest, to character growth, internal struggle, epic battle, and then to the tension with the knowledge that the battle is far from over.

I still recommend that everyone read this series. While even I occasionally joke about the round about way they are going about completing their goal in this series, it wouldn’t be much of a series if it was all completed in one book. And if it had been completed in one book then it wouldn’t hold the same weight it does now that warranted a movie series and a remake of The Hobbit.

So, read it, see the movies, share it with friends and family. This is one series everyone can watch and read.

Well that’s all for this review. Now, as life permits, I will be doing a review of the third and final book The Return of the King. After that, I’m planning a detailed review of The Hobbit since I fully intend to see the movie when it comes out in theaters. Whether I do a second review giving my take on the book to movie translation remains a question. It’s more likely that I would join my long time friend The Cinema Chick to review it with her.

In that case, I will make a short notice on this blog about the review and add a link to her site for the review. That’s if we work something out since her reviews have turned into vlogs. Whether I do one myself or not I will link to her vlog of the review of The Hobbit when it’s posted.

As for this review, that’s all from me.

This is Creative Karma and I proudly proclaim my geekery.

The One Book to Rule Them All

Hello to everyone again and welcome back to Ink Stained Fingers.

As anyone knows that even remotely looks at this blog, I recently took a hiatus from reviewing books for a short time to take a breather and a mental vacation. Real life decided to weigh heavily on my time for a short while. Most of you know the drill of dealing with the basics of chores and job hunting.

However, most of that is now gone and without a car job hunting is on hold pending its return. But last night I finally felt like my mind had rested enough that I could get back to reviewing without my mind imploding.

Now, as many geeks, nerds and fanatics out there are aware, The Hobbit is going to be made into a new live action film. I am personally very excited about this movie and plan to go out and see it the first chance I get when it comes out in theaters. It makes me even happier to know they will be using the same actors from the other three when characters like Legolas or Gandalf makes their appearance.

So in honor of the movie in the making, I will start off with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Now, a few might question as to why I’m not starting off with The Hobbit which is the beginning of the series. Well, there are a couple of reasons for that. First off, the movie for The Hobbit is a long way in coming as it is. Holding off on reviewing the book would at least put it closer to the time the movie is coming out despite the fact the filming for the movie doesn’t even end till in November and it’s still February. No amount of spacing will get it to even out. But secondly and more importantly, it gives me time to catch up and read the book so I can do the review justice.

When the movie comes out, I will go see the movie and as any good book lover, I will tell you guys if they managed to get close enough to the book to allow anyone who hasn’t read the book to know what is going out without deviating from the book.

So for now, I will delve back into the world of books with one of my personal favorites The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Now, I will not be the first to say that this book is one of the most epic, inspiring, and original books that I have ever read. Sure, there have been other books filled with adventures, saving the world, magical creatures, and a bad guy that wants to destroy and take over the world. Those are a dime a dozen.

However, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring provides the new level that other books have to reach in order to stick in our imaginations for generations. One of the few others to do so is the Harry Potter series and that had to take the avenue of wizards to make its name in the literary world.

 This book is where we get the second mention of a race known as hobbits who haven’t had a controlling stake in the fate of what is known as ‘The one ring’ since in the book The Hobbit. However, now they must take their most active role yet to give a personal stake in the fate of the land of Middle Earth and the destruction of the one ring forged by the evil Lord Sauron.

Through this adventure, those that are familiar with The Hobbit again get to meet Biblo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, Leoglas Greenleaf, Gollum, and Lord Elrond. Then, the character list is expanded to include: Frodo Baggins and his friends Sam, Pippin, and Merry. Along with Aragorn though known by most as the ranger named Strider, Boromir, Gimli, Arwen, and Galadriel to name the main ones.

The list of characters and creatures within this cast has a life of its own. Each race has a language, a home, and a back story that goes far beyond what most other stories delve into. You see orcs, elves, men, hobbits, wizards and nazgul. Each has different kinds and different looks to separate them from the others giving a more realistic feel to a world that has many races and creeds.

In essence, that is exactly why this book makes the top of many lists. Tolkien created an entirely new world where anything was possible which made the story possible for anyone to see, understand and enjoy. Without setting this story in another realm, I’m not sure if it would have fared as well. There is more freedom when you create your own world for things to happen in and it shows here.

Sure, this book does follow some of the same conventions of men and elves that are found in other books. But when the thought of elves comes into your mind I doubt there would be many that don’t think of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in the lists of stories that come to mind. For some that may be the first. I know it is for me.

There are characters that you cling to and you become comfortable with. That make you feel for the characters and anything that happens to the characters strikes you. If they are injured, you worry for them. If they are victorious, then you rejoice with them. If the die, you cry for them. Not many books can truly say they have touched as many people in that manner as this book did.

From a literary standpoint, the flow of the book keeps you moving. You don’t ever have to think about the context the events are happening in while you read. The context is there with every line to help you along so you can simply enjoy the story and keep up in their journey without feeling rushed. You have enough information about the world to keep you updated but not so much that you feel like you are reading a history book.

I like history but when I’m reading for pleasure I certainly don’t want to feel like I’m going to be graded over what I’m reading.

All in all, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is just one of those books that will stick with me long after I’ve stopped reading it. To me, one of the biggest praises I can give any book is that I don’t need to go back and re-read the book in order to remember the story because it just comes back to me. The Lord of the Rings is one of those books.

I have favorite characters and times and scenes that I go back to time and time again to think of and be inspired by. As those who read my post about those books that inspired and influenced me know, I only have a few that really inspired me and this book made the list.

True, my hope is to be a writer one day. If anything I write could ever obtain a third of the followers and influence that The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has then I will certainly be a happy camper.

Haven’t read this series yet? Then apparently you have just been born or got swept way in Justin Beiber fever. I have nothing against the kid but he’s just not from my time of music.

I highly recommend turning off your TV, the radio, and the computer and taking time to read this book and join the rest of the masses in reading this book. If true books are a dying breed then it’s high time to take charge of the time we have left and read books that still hold the imagination of so many.

I’m Creative Karma and it’s time for an adventure of my own.

The Top 10 Books I Couldn't Have Lived Without

Hello again and welcome to Ink Stained Fingers, where all books get their trial by fire.

As for those of you who have been keeping up with my reviews you know that last time I went over the list of the top 10 books I could have lived without. Since then I’ve had a few friends of mine that had asked me numerous questions. One of the biggest ones was that if that was the books I didn’t like then what were the top 10 books I couldn’t live without?

You know those books. The book that you could read over and over again. It’s the books you keep within reach so you can grab it up and read it whenever you get the urge.

Luckily for them and for you I all ready had a list set up for just this occasion. So today, we are gonna dive into the Top 10 Books I Couldn’t Live Without. So buckle in for the books that I could talk about all day long.

And I promise to keep it short as possible…but I make no promises.

10. The Chalice and the Blade by Genna McReynolds

This is one of those books I believe I’ve mentioned before. But this is one of those books that broke through my usual radar of books with damsels in distress as something not to aspire to. The main reason it made this list is because of that. The fact that it has dragons, sword fighting, magic and a damsel in distress that can fight back makes it a book that I could read over and over again.

9. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Now, many people know all about this book series. It’s one of the most popular book to movie series even before Harry Potter. This book is timeless. The characters are amazing. The story is epic in ways that all other books try to compete with. The series is flawless and they know it because they aren’t trying to add to it or do spin offs. There’s simply no need.

8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

And here we have it. This is the next book in a series that came out perfect. Some people may have problems with the characters but I don’t. As Steven King said: “Harry Potter is all about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity.” If any kids need a series to inspire them, then this series is the one and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite out of the entire series for that.

7. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Now my friends know that this book would make this list and for those of you that have kept up with my blog then you would too. The big reason this book makes the list is that for the first time in the series we actually get to hear from the other characters. The starting force might have been Bella but she wasn’t completely center stage. That made this book better than others by far.

6. Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice

I’ve seen another couple of reviews for this book and I have to agree with them. While this book does make series like Twilight possible, it is still separate from those other series. It is the first of its kind that makes vampires into the ones that you’d rather spend eternity with rather than running screaming in the other direction. I do like the traditional vampires once in a while but what’s a good story without some hot eye candy? You may never marry these vampires but I bet it’s more than enough to dream about them.

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Now this book is unlike the other books on the series except maybe for The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. This is one of those stories that I like not for hot guys or powerful women. This is a story I like for the moral it brings across. Simply that first impressions of a person aren’t always right and those impressions shouldn’t used to keep yourself distant from the other person because that very person might be the key to happiness in your life.

4. Dhampir by Barb and J.C. Hendee

Again, here’s another vampire book that makes the list. However, this is so far from Twilight and Interview with the Vampire that it has its own category in my mind. There’s no romance. No vampires you want to date or that are even sexy. This is all about the action with some mystery thrown in to keep you wondering what’s going to happen. A vampire mystery. Sounds like fun to me.

3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Now this is a book that needs to be on everyone’s list. A book about the severe effects of over-censorship. Most people think we as a society could never let things get that far. This book is more than enough of a wake up call as to what things could be like if we just keep taking the passive route through our lives. Give this book a read and see just what I mean.

2. Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton

Yet another vampire novel makes my list. Any of my friends could attest to the fact that I’m a sucker for a vampire novel. However, while this novel is from a vampire series, this book has little to do with the main vampires of the series. Yeah it features vampires but it delves more into the life of an assassian and bounty hunter that Anita Blake knows as Edward, Death or Ted Forrester. The last when he’s doing legal things. Edward is one of my faves from the series and I was more than excited to learn more about him.

1. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King

And here it is, one of my fave books. This book made me want to seek out the original Sherlock Holmes stories and read as many of them as possible as well as the rest of this series. This book is perfect in my mind. The thrills, the backstories, the characters and everything else is well thought out and executed. You aren’t spending the book trying to figure anything out but you are still curious where the story is going. Mystery, crime, and someone that will go toe to toe with Sherlock Holmes? Just awesome.

And there you have it, the top 10 books that I couldn’t live without. These books were never in any particular order. Even if I tried to go for some sort of order I wouldn’t have been able to do it. They are all amazing in their own ways. Just seems wrong to pit them against each other. It’s enough that they are great.

Do you have a top 10 books you could always go back to? Those books that you turn to on good days, bad days, and all the days in between because it’s stuck in your mind. If you do feel free to share them in the comments.

Don’t have a top 10? Don’t even know where to start? Try out the books on my list. They just may be the ones that end up on your top 10.

That’s all from this book junkie.

I’m Creative Karma and I’m on the look out for a new top 10 books to love.

The Top 10 Books I Could Have Lived Without

Evening everyone out there in the world wide web and welcome to another edition of Ink Stained Fingers. The place were all books get their day in my court. Some are innocent until proven guilty while others are guilty until proven innocent.

In this edition of Ink Stained Fingers, I’m going to be delving into the books that are just plain guilty. And I’m not talking about those nice guilty pleasures that you enjoy in the privacy of your room. I’m talking about the books that are simply the kind I could have done without.

Let me describe this type of book before I move to far ahead.

Any book that made this list is guilty of one or more things. Those things can be but are exclusive to: too many plot lines, too little of a plot line, boring characters, characters you can’t relate to, too much information, trying to be funny/epic/romantic/serious/etc. and failing miserably at it, getting the reader’s hopes up, and lame endings.

There’s much more I could add to that list but then this would be list that might last me all night and that’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to reveal my top 10 books I could have lived without and tell you why that is.

These books are in no particular order but all belong on this list.

Enough with the teasing, let’s dive into the top 10 books I could have lived without and this time I have pictures.

                                                     10. Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton

    Now, normally, I'm a huge fan of the Anita Blake series. I read this whole series over and over again till most of the people around me can't stand it anymore. But this book upset me. The story line wasn't horrible, the characters were all the same, and it was the same writing style. However, it was the way this book was ended that did it in for me. Having followed all of the characters this far I tend to think I know them rather well. The end of the book made no sense to the rest of the series and made what could have been some epic into a lamely written confrontation.

9. Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice

     Again, I'm traditionally a fan of the Ann Rice series and something of a vampire lore junkie. I like following the lives of Lestat, Louie and all the rest. I even loved the individual books in the series. But Memnoch the Devil definitely shows the author when she decided to be uber religious. I'm all for reading about people's different ideas of what Heaven, Hell, the Devil, God, demons and angels are like. However, when I pick up an Anne Rice vampire novel I expect it to have something more to do with vampires than Lestat having some weird religious out of body experience.

8. The Witches by Ronald Dahl

     Again, another author I like. I loved Matilda and they did a great job with the movie rendition. But this is one book that I really didn't want to wrap my head around. This is a sort of children's book so it's not hard to follow by any means. It's a quick read and that's about the only good thing about it. But the idea they are trying to pass off with who "The Witches" are is just so silly and stupid that the only type of person it's good for is a scary story for five year olds. But scary in the manner of all those "scary stories" for teens that were more meant to scare them out of  going to park out on some hill in a guy's car to make out. All in all this is a book that tries to take itself too seriously and that's what makes it fail.

7. Skellig by David Almond

     Like in my comments about Memnoch the Devil, I don't mind different thoughts on religious ideas. A couple of years at a community college and a Comparative Religion class helped that along. But this story has nothing to do with religion in any sense of the word. There may be one or two little things at the end of the book that hint towards some of the teachings in the Bible but it's like an afterthought. I'm not even sure what the author meant to get across in this book. Is it supposed to be scary? Is it supposed to express some idea? What is the reading supposed to feel for the characters? All questions to which I still have no answer.

6. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

     It surprises me how many of the books on this list are from the Children's Literature class I took in college. I liked a lot of the books we read and I don't mind reading children's books. I even recognize that I might not like some books because they are for a much younger audience. However, this book gets more confusing as you go on. The idea was a great one. But there is little to no explanation for how we got to this point in time. As if the reader is simply supposed to accept a society that they are unfamiliar with set a thousand years more or less in the future and using terminology and technology that are suddenly something common and everyday. The descriptions make it hard to picture what's going on and only adds to the confusion. All in all this is a book that left me wondering what all I missed and not in a good way.

5. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

     Now, I'm putting these two together because I read them together. Doesn't seem fair when I can't keep the stories from mixing in my own mind. As I said before, I'm a sucker for different ways of using vampire lore. I'm not stuck on Dracula as the one true vampire. But these two books simply didn't do it for me. I guess the author was trying to make it more down to earth and real for a teenage/high school setting. Well, they succeeded better than the Twilight series on that one. However, save for the vampire angle it was too close. It was too much like a typical high school drama. Heck, you could have removed the vampire angle and made every character human and it really wouldn't have taken much away from the books. The female lead in these book is better than most by far. She's far from being a true damsel in distress...like some emo chics I could name... However, I still couldn't feel drawn into the story.

       4. The Group by Mary McCarthy

            This book wasn't all that bad to tell the truth. It had it's good moments and the characters weren't bland in the least. It was simply hard for me to handle the writing style of this book. It tended to jump between story line to story line of each girl in "the group" of friends. I ended up missing more of the things going on then remembering them. It was simply too much information to keep in my head till all the story lines converged in the end of the book. If you can juggle multiple storylines in one book then I would actually recommend this book to you. Fair warning, this book is uncensored and for adult reader's only. Graphic sexual content is the norm here not the

exception.

    3. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

        If the last book had graphic sexual content as the norm, then this book would end up in the back room with a curtain hanging in the doorway with a sign that said "for adults only". This book pushed way to many buttons all at the same time to make this a comfortable read. I might be only half joking to say that even the hardcore liberal might need to pause in reading this book to get some air and a cigarette. If it had one less controversial topic or one less story line then it MIGHT have been enjoyable. To me it was simply uncomfortable. 

     2. Troilus and Criseyde by Chaucer

          If this book alone doesn't prove that I obtained an English degree, then nothing will. As an English major I've read a lot of Chaucer's other works. He was an author that I did enjoy during college. But this is a book that I struggled through for a class. It's not that the material was about an era that I couldn't understand. All of Chaucer's works are like that. But this book seemed to be so forced. The characters were unreachable, unbelievable, the story was way too chalked up and left me wanting. It would be like if they were building up to an epic battle and they ended with a handshake and everyone happy and smiling. It's like Romeo and Juliet without the undying love and double suicide.

1. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

    If you've read my review of the whole Twilight "saga" then you know my thoughts on this book so I won't rehash them too much. This is the one place where I truly agree with my friend TheCinemaChick. The only good thing about this book was Jacob and the fact he was shirtless and muscled. Even that lovely eye candy can't distract the reader from the psychotic roller coaster that the reader is dragged through all in the name of something that is unfortunately and mistakenly called love.

Whew, there you have it folks. Those are my top 10 books that I could have lived without. Maybe you'll agree and maybe you won't. Maybe you'll want to read the books yourself and make up your own mind. However, I've made up mine and I'm stickin to it.

If you have a list of books you could have lived without then feel free to comment with your top books that you could have lived without. Just maybe you can save a friend from the horrendous fate of a soul destroying book.

I'm Creative Karma and I really really REALLY need a good book right about now.

Sherlock Holmes Reborn?

Hello and welcome back to the next edition of Ink Stained Fingers were books of all flavors get their time in the spot light.

Well, you’ve seen me review quite a few vampire novels since this blog was created and one list.

For those that don’t like vampire novels, this must have been hell on earth.

Well fear no longer. My next book has nothing to do with vampires. Come to think of it, it has nothing to do with anything supernatural at all.

The book I chose for today is something I had to read when I took a Popular Female Literature class back in college. Since then the series has become one of my favorite ones of all time.

What book am I talking about?

I’m referring to the book The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King.

While the synopsis to the book starts talking about Sherlock Holmes, the series is really about a young woman named Mary Russell. The book as well as the rest of the series is from her point of view starting with meeting a retired Sherlock Holmes on the Sussex Downs.

From then on, it’s her personality, her intelligence, and her stubbornness that draw them into a close confidence as friends. Eventually, this paves the way to a kidnapping of a young girl that forces the recluse Sherlock Holmes to take Mary Russell as his partner. A decision that lead them into a bigger mystery than either of them are prepared for.

For those that have read the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this Sherlock Holmes bears a similar resemblance to the Doyle version. However, you must keep in mind this is a sort of “what if” type of Sherlock Holmes. As in, what if Sherlock Holmes retired in his later years and met a woman who could match him in intelligence, wit, and strength?

I’ve read some of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. People that know me best know that I tend to put more pressure on later books that are about the same person that an earlier writer wrote about or when someone makes a book into a movie.

I have to admit, the way the story was written does seem like a logical leap from Sherlock Holmes as an active investigator to Sherlock Holmes the retired beekeeper.

This is one series that I really don’t want to give anything away on.

The story writing is never boring and the action keeps you riveted. Normally, the first book in the series is so full of information that you are slogging your way through till the second or even third book. This book, however, manages to give you the details leading up to the events in a way that flows well, offers enough info without overloading the reader, and keeping the plot moving forward.

It’s a hard task to accomplish but Laurie R. King has found the way to make a story easy to get into and nearly impossible to put down.

I’ve always been addicted to mysteries. Heck, I’ll even admit to reading Nancy Drew novels as a young girl and wanting to own every one that ever existed.

I’m sure some of my friends will never let me live that little secret down. Oh well.

But this is a book for an older audience. Who would’ve thought that you’d get sexual tension in a Sherlock Holmes series? I’m not kidding. The series will keep you guessing till the very last sentence.

The books series is now 9 books long as Laurie King as come out with yet another book in this series. However, Sherlock Holmes is and always will be an icon in the mystery genre. I personally hope that someone keeps that tradition alive for years to come.

If you like mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, strong women or any combo of the three, then go out and give The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King a shot. Even if you think mysteries aren’t the genre of books for you, I still recommend this series. Try this little technique out if you think you won’t like them.

Drive or ride or bum a ride over to your favorite book store, pull this book off the shelf and just start reading. If you come to your senses in the third chapter then get this book because just maybe they are the genre for you.

I’m Creative Karma and I’m addicted to mysteries.

Are you going black?

Hey everyone, Creative Karma here.


This post is going to be a little different than the rest of my usual fare because things are coming up in our government that need to be focused on.


Many of you might have all ready heard of the possible new legislative acts named SOPA and PIPA that are trying to be passed into law. If you haven't, it's about time to wake up and pick up a newspaper or check out a website.


There are numerous sites and pages dedicated to talking about these two pieces of legislation. More than enough to understand what they are and what could happen if these new bills pass. And before I go any further I will say this: This site is purely dedicated to my opinion on things based on things I have heard and heard. Anything I say on this subject is based purely on the things I've read and heard about the legislation.


Now, to give a brief intro here, SOPA and PIPA are pretty much the exact same bill save for a change in words and things that are added or not there in the other bill. In short, these two bills are the collective idea and suggestion for how to stop internet piracy of American products such as movies, songs, games and so on.


Of course, this idea is a great one in theory. But then so is a lot of things in a perfect world.


Why don't I support these bills?


It's really quite simple.


These bills give ultimate power to artists or authors or companies that believe someone has stolen (aka being guilty of copyright infringement) to take that person to court to either sue the person or company and/or force the site to shut down or to remove/block that copyrighted item from their site.


While in a perfect world this is a great idea for making sure people aren't committing the internet version of shoplifting, this isn't a perfect world. It's very likely that some companies will use this power without mercy against even the slightest of offenders.


Imagine with me if you will. Imagine video taping your child walking for the first time. Cute right? I know it's adorable. Then, let's say you have music you have on your computer whether you bought it on line or in a store and you set this cute video of your kid up on Youtube with that music in the back ground or added to the video when you edited it.


Nothing wrong with that right?


Well, if these bills pass, there is a good chance that a company might go to the owners of Youtube and try to take them to court if they don't remove or block the video from their website because the song itself is under copyright and people could download the video and steal the song.


So now that cute video of your kid gets removed from the video sharing site because you decided to play music during the video.


It might seem very far fetched but there is a possibility that companies may take it too far in the name of protecting their clients.


To me this is cutting the line far too close to taking away our right to freedom of speech. If it's not then it's really splitting hairs very closely.


I would gladly support these bills if the government would put restrictions on the companies and how much power they'd have over what is bannable and what is not. Yes, I created a new word there.


If the government could make sure that those people that are truly stealing music, images, videos and the like are the ones being targeted and not the little people that are simply posting things like videos of their kids or syncing music they bought up to a game they are playing that they are paying for anyway. It's that second group of people who aren't purposely committing copyright infringement but sharing their likes and dislikes and hobbies with friends and family.


Until the government can make that kind of promise, I'm against SOPA and PIPA.


I personally don't want to see the day that I can't review books and show things like the cover art for the book because that'd be copyright infringement or the day when my friend TheCinemaChick has to shut down her site because she reviews movies and sometime places clips of movies on the site. I don't want to see the day where people like That Guy With The Glasses team can no longer maintain a website because they show clips of movies and books and comics and games during their reviews. I don't want to see that happen to anyone who is only expressing their opinion on a certain subject manner.


So, along with many other websites and the like I'm supporting black out day which is January 18th. This post may be getting posted in the morning of said date but I support it just the same. This same message will be posted on my other sites as well. This is because, while I may be an artist and a writer and want my works to be protected I don't want that at the expense of freedom of speech. I want people to show pictures I've drawn and make commentary on them. I want to one day have someone showing clips from a movie of a screen play I wrote. I want that because it only serves to spread my works out to everyone. To have them noticed by everyone and get me noticed and appreciated by people who need inspiration or like the way I think.


This is Creative Karma and I'm blacking out.

My Guilty Pleasures

Hello and welcome back to Ink Stained Finger where no book is too good or too bad for a review.

As I mentioned last time, I’m following in the footsteps of my old friend TheCinemaChick. She’s pretty much the reason I decided to start up this blog in the first place.

So with that in mind, it’s time for me to offer my next list.

I’m sure that there’s been a time or two where you were reading a book or watching a movie where you’ve had a friend or family member wondering why the heck you’re reading or watching whatever it is.

It’s not because of the subject content but simply because they don’t understand just why someone would enjoy that particular book or movie. I’ve found myself there quite a few times defending books that I think have some value to them despite whatever inconsistencies they contain.

That’s what I mean when I talk about those books that are my guilty pleasures. Those books that for a reason no one really understands you enjoy and find yourself going back to them time and time again.

So on this edition of Ink Stained Fingers, I’m going to touch on the 5 books that are my personal guilty pleasures. While they aren’t in any particular order, they all made the list just the same.

So let’s get this show on the road.

5.      The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

Now, I know one friend is going to wonder why this book even made the list. I’ve bashed this book with this friend talking about how bad it is and how things don’t make a heck of a lot of sense. However, this book is more set up for children than it is for adults. In that mindset, this book is actually pretty interesting. It’s not like a typical children’s book with fairytale creatures or knights or princesses. Heck, it’s not even set in the U.S. of A but in Zimbabwe. But the fact that they went outside of the norm for children’s books and created a futuristic world is to be commended. I haven’t seen many other books like it and it’s easy to get into the story without wondering what is going on.

4.      The Chalice and the Blade by Glenna McReynolds

Despite my overly independent nature and dislike of stories with a female character that must be constantly saved by a man (feminist? Who, me?), this story makes this list because it manages to slide past my usual defenses. This is the case simply because the way the characters are written. The female character isn’t always in danger and manages to do rather well with the few times that she’s given to take care of herself. Sometimes she even faces danger on her own and saves people, which is far more than I can say of Bella from the Twilight series.

3.    A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Again, this is a book I had to read in one of my literature courses in college. This book is very different from any others on this list simply because of its realism and lack of supernatural elements. However, this book is completely depressing half the time. Look at the title for yourself if you can’t figure out why it might be. However, this book made the list because of a simple thing I covered in my last list. This is a book about facing up to something that no one can overcome and coming to a sense of peace and understanding that gets you through it. It’s a great message to get across and that’s only one of them. It’s a guilty pleasure simply because it offers such valuable messages that the depressing subject matter is only background noise.

2.    Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

Now, I have quite a few people that find the entire Anita Blake series as joy to read. Even going so far as to be very popular. But this book makes this list because of the action that happens in between all the other drama. The emos stop being emos, theirs lots of fighting, and make up sex as well as intentional sex and magical sex…did I say there was sex?

1.          The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith

The Vampire Diaries was a series I never really got into like rest of those that loved it right into a TV series that has nothing to do anymore with the books, but that’s not a review for me to do.

However much I don’t like the TV series and the fact that I didn’t go right out and buy the rest of the books, I found myself at least sucked into the idea that L.J. created in her type of vampires. Then again, maybe it’s because Elena is NOTHING like the whiny and pouty Bella who complains about every day she gets older.

Elena deals with the situation, sometimes on her own, and finds her own way. She may get all goo goo eyed with Stefan and his brother, but they are rather hot. But she doesn’t cling to them unless she finds herself in a situation that she can’t handle on her own. She’s not a damsel in distress but she’s not the lone gun either. She plays her part and manages to stick it out which is why it makes my list.

And there you have it, my 5 Guilty Pleasure books.

If you have a favorite book that no one else understands just keep one thing in mind, if it’s a book you enjoy and it lifts you up, makes you happy, inspires you, or any of those other good emotions then don’t let anyone take the joy out of those books for you. They don’t have to understand why you enjoy it just that you do.

So that’s all from me for now.

This is Creative Karma and I enjoy my guilty pleasures.

Influenced Much?

Hello and Welcome back to Ink Stained Fingers.

I'm taking a side track from reviewing a whole series of books in order to do something a little different.

Today's little journey is actually inspired and prodded along by a friend of mine. Namely, TheCinemaChick. She recently posted her list of the Top Five Movies that Influenced her. Naturally, as we got to talking I got "influenced" to write my own list. But here we are all about books. So let's dive into The top 5 books that influenced me.

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


Now I'm well aware of the subject content of this book. I'm very aware that the whole story centers around a family of six girls that are all hot to get hitched up to an eligible bachelor. Well, everyone besides Elizabeth Bennett.

However, while reading this story a while back I noticed one key thing that usually happens to me when I'm reading a story I love. I read it for hours on end and finally put the thing down when I noticed it was 3am in the morning.

The book is an all time classic of Jane Austen's. It's a timeless story that really isn't about girls that have to get married at all. It's about Elizabeth and how the lack of information or believing in the social views of a person without getting to know the person underneath can lead to an incorrect assumption about a person. For Lizzy, this person ended up being a man she despised for all the wrong reasons, comes to her senses when she discovers the truth and sees that this so called proud man is the match that will fill her life with happiness she never dreamed of obtaining.

4. Stoodie by Taffeta Chime


Now, many of you out there aren't even aware of this book's existence. I wasn't either until my mother bought it for me one day where it was on sale at a play house. Now, normally, I'm rather dubious about any books my mother brings home for me to read.

However, the back cover of the story and the history of the author enticed me enough that I gave it a chance and boy was I glad I did.

This story is the ultimate story to read for those people who feel like there isn't a place for them in this world or those who had a place but it's suddenly taken from them due to loss of popularity or whatever. The book itself talks about one girl's struggle to deal with her changing world and learning to adapt and gain a new confidence about herself.

For me personally, this story really showed me that I'm not alone in those types of feelings and that despite the trials I may face that it can bring about something amazing.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Now this story nearly everyone in the world has heard of in some format or another. If you haven't then apparently you've been living in a cave. Most people tend to think of the early Harry Potter books as kids books. However, there is some seriously heavy and adult material inside that outer shell of wizards and magic.

What influenced me in this book is not only the way Harry and his friends stick together through all the trials that they have to face but the courage they face when coming up against the unexpected. They are scared like anyone would be but they face those fears head on even faced with the greatest of tasks.

I think the most influencing part of this story is spoken by Remus Lupin. In short, that whether or not things ended up exactly the way you wanted them to that if you can help one person, prevent an innocent person from taking an unjust punishment, and prove to yourself what is the truth despite that no one else knows it, that it can make all the difference in the world whether anyone knows what you've done or not or if anyone thinks it's right or not.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Following of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien


This story is just one of those stories that has everything going for it. It has action, adventure, romance, hot guys. I mean what else could anyone want? But this isn't about how great this book is. This is about how this book influenced me.

Heck, I don't need to say much about this at all that the book or the movie hasn't all ready said and I quote: "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

Need I say more?

And the number one book that influenced me is....


1.  The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King


This book I could read over and over and over again.

The woman whose point of view we are hearing the story from isn't some damsel in distress that has to be saved by a man constantly. Yes, she meets a man along the way that gets the story going. But she's got an inner strength and fire that can't be denied or squashed by anyone.

Mary Russell makes it a point to not let herself get pushed aside when she knows that something is going on that she's being kept out of especially when everything else between them has held no secrets. She doesn't make excuses for why she can't or didn't do something. Instead she takes chances and risks and proves to everyone that she's not someone to be lightly tossed aside.

Her determination not to be treated like a frilly and delicate woman is her strength rather than a weakness like most would think. It gives her an edge of confidence and daring that, if she were of the mind to and lived in the current decade, would lead her to be the first woman President.

Her passion and fire is something rarely seen among girls today and it's something I long to obtain for myself one day and never let anything stand in the way of what I really want.

So there you are, the top five books that influenced me.


I highly recommend you go out and try these books out for yourself if you haven't all ready. But even if you've all ready read them, read them again. Their messages will certainly lasts for years to come and you never know when the message they are bringing across will influence you in a positive direction.

Come back here next time to see the next list that's once again inspired by my friend TheCinemaChick. My Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Books. Maybe we'll share some of the same books that you go back to read time and time again but your friends just don't understand why.

This is Creative Karma and keep an eye out because the next book I review may be your guilty pleasure.