The Dancing Master Book Review

Title: The Dancing Master.

Author: Julie Klassen.

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance.

Plot: His business ruined and his family tainted by scandal, Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to Beaworthy to live with his bachelor uncle Ramsey. Life is quiet and uneventful in Beaworthy - it's a place where a man can start over again. But unfortunately for Alec, his chosen profession of dancing master will make earning a living very tricky. For in quiet Beaworthy, nobody dances.

Julia Midwinter is the flirtatious daughter of Lady Amelia Midwinter - the county's leading lady and, coincidentally, the one who made dancing a forbidden activity. With a longing in her heart for more, Julia constantly pushes the boundaries but finds herself with an equal partner at last - for, no matter how hard she tries, she can't get Alec to kiss her. Or can she? With his arrival reawakening old wounds and coinciding with the return of an infamous local, Alec soon finds himself and Julia unraveling the secrets of Beaworthy.

Likes/Dislikes: It took me an unusually long time to finish this novel. I love Klassen's books, but this one failed to draw me in and hold me spellbound to the last page like her other ones have. I did enjoy the redemption of the characters, and my favorite was Lady Amelia. I also liked Desmond, but I couldn't stand whiny flirty Julia, and Alec was so boring, poor thing. Still, it was good reading and I liked how the epilogue was different.

Rating: PG- 15 and up, for reading level and veiled content concerning scandal, an old death, etc.

Date Report Written: May 9th, 2014.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Movie Review

Title: Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Starring: Chris Evens {Captain America/Steve Rodgers}, Scarlett Johansson {Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow}, Sebastian Stan {Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier}, Anthony Mackie {Sam Wilson/Falcon}, Samuel L. Jackson {Nick Fury}, and Robert Redford {Alexander Pierce}.

Release Date: To Theaters: April 4th, 2014.

Genre: Sequel, Action/Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction.

Plot: Steve Rodgers is still adjusting to the new modern world he awoke to after a fifty-year sleep. With almost nothing in common with anyone, he finds making friends difficult and going out on a date even more so. Natasha isn't detoured by his protests, however, and multi-tasks during one of their missions together by coming up with possible date candidates for Steve to choose from. More amused by this than anything, Steve lets her run with it. Besides, he's too busy calling out Nick Fury on his trust issues.

When a beaten up Nick arrives unexpectedly in his apartment after discovering a potential threat then being attacked, Steve quickly realizes there is more to worry about than trust issues and dates. Teaming up with Natasha and new friend Sam, Steve launches his own investigation and learns more than he bargained for.

Likes/Dislikes: Captain America is definitely a down-to-earth honest character with some very good points on security and our country in general. The movie was fast-paced, entertaining and had a cool teaser at the end for more adventures from Marvels. My only objection is that it was too long and the theater we were in was way too loud. I thought the winter soldier's identity was a great twist but also, rather cliche`.  I look forward to the third installment however, and will definitely see this movie again.

Rating: Official: PG-13. My rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content {violence, lots of fight scenes, some scenes of torture, etc.}.

Date Report Written: May 16th, 2014.

Chivalry Book Review

Title: Chivalry: The Quest for a Personal Code of Honor in an Unjust World.

Author: Zach Hunter.

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Modern Problems, Honor, Knights.

Plot: Zach Hunter, author of Be the Change, has a new unexpected challenge for today's generation: to live justly and honorably in an unjust world. And this book tells you how to do that. To quote the back cover: "Chivalry is alive and well - it's just not what you expected. It's not a list of rules teaching guys how to treat girls. It's a way for young men and women - all of us - to live justly in an unjust world."  With ten comprehensive chapters that cover never attacking someone from behind to practicing self-control and not fearing evil. It touches on modern concerns such as racism and  slavery, and includes a chapter on what to do when man's laws go against God's laws.

Likes/Dislikes: Written beautifully, with fictional stories to illustrate a point, this book flows well and hits several good points. It's a very deep-thinking book - one I'll have to read again. But I highly enjoyed it. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting it to be. And it was very encouraging at times, so that was good.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Report Written: May 20th, 2014.

I received a copy of this book free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Amazing Spider-Man Movie Review

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man.

Starring: Andrew Garfield {Peter Parker/Spider-Man}, Emma Stone {Gwen Stacy}, Rhys Ifans {Dr. Connors/Lizard}, Denis Leary {Captain Stacy}, Martin Sheen {Ben Parker} and Sally Field {May Parker}.

Release Date: To theaters: July 3rd, 2012. To DVD: November 9th, 2012.

Genre: Remake, Action/Adventure, Superhero, Classic Comic.

Plot: A young Peter Parker comes across his father's office thrashed during a game of hide-and-seek. That same evening, he is left with his aunt and uncle while his parents leave on some unknown mission. They never return and Peter grows up with questions he can't answer. A normal average teenager, Peter Parker has one edge over his classmates: he's really good at science. When he comes across an file of his father's work, Peter uses it and his science ability to sneak into Oscorp. While there wandering around, he accidentally picks up a very special spider and gets bit. Within hours, he begins to develop newfound powers and abilities.

Experimenting with his new abilities and adjusting to them becomes a fun distraction. However, life still has a few curve balls to throw Peter and one of them is the unfortunate murder of his beloved uncle after they have an argument. Searching for his uncle's killer, Peter begins to develop his new persona of Spider-Man - a persona that will soon grow into legend.

Likes/Dislikes: Having seen the original Spider-Man movies, the animated cartoon series and read one of two comic books, I was keen to see this movie partly because it seemed to stick better to the original material than the first movies, and mainly because I was so happy they got a better actor to play Peter Parker. The first actor was horrible! I was really impressed with this new movie and my husband, who originally didn't want to see it, begrudgingly admitted that they did a much better job with it. I quite enjoyed it. The only part I didn't like was that there were too many spiders running around in it; I personally can't stand spiders - which is a little odd since I don't mind Spider-Man. Ah well.

Rating: Official rating: PG-13. My rating: PG-13. It's a little violent but all the 13 yr. olds I know can take a little violence.

Date Report Written: April 29th, 2014.

Gievaway!

So, you might have noticed from yesterday's post that I have a new book out and available for your enjoyment. What you might not know is that I have two copies to give away. I've listed one at GoodReads which you can see here, but I'm also gonna host a giveaway {my first!} here at my blog. So you get two chances to win!

I have no control over who wins at the GoodReads giveaway, but I do have control over who can win here at my blog. To do that, I'm gonna use a point system and the person with the most points wins. The points are:

3 points for shelving my book on GoodReads

2 points for following my blog

2 points for reposting/sharing via your blog about this giveaway

1 point for sharing on Facebook

1 point for liking my Facebook page {either the Elaine Dalton one or the Cleveland Mysteries page or both}

1 point for following my new page thing on Twitter

Comment with a link to your blog post and tell me what you did to rack up the points please. The giveaways both end on June 10th. I know that's not a lot of time, but at least I'll be able to {in theory} get the books mailed out to you on that day. Thanks and good luck! :)

A Collection of Poetry

Introducing a brand-new book to add to your private collections! A Collection of Poetry by Elaine J. Dalton.

Description: From the author of The Cleveland Mysteries comes a new contribution to the literary world! A creative work of vivid imagining and containing forty-two poems of varying lengths and exquisite beauty; this poetry collection will add elegance to any bookshelf. Within this volume are familiar works from the author which include A Song of Wintertime Fun, In the Pages of a Book, Travel to Distant Lands, and True Friends. In addition to these are many new works such as Choir Performance, Among the Stars and Mocha. A treasure to poetry lovers and a refreshing treat to others.

You can purchase this slim lovely volume at Amazon for $9.00 or you can get the Kindle version for $4.00! For more info, click here. 

Do be sure to "like" my author page on Facebook for more details about upcoming books and add A Collection of Poetry to your GoodReads shelf while you're at it. I'll be hosting a giveaway as soon as I order some copies, so stay tuned for that! :)

Tide and Tempest Book Review

Title: Tide and Tempest.

Author: Elizabeth Ludwig.

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Action/Adventure.

Plot: After making the perilous crossing from Ireland to New York and losing her fiance` on the way, Tillie McGrath had to pick up the pieces of her life and start again. The only problem was that she never forgave herself for the death of her fiance` or the loss of her unborn baby. Now, working as a seamstress and living at the women's boardinghouse she was brought to two years ago, Tillie has her hopes set on opening an orphanage to help the children of New York. But when Captain Morgan comes calling, things take a deadly turn for the worst.

Morgan never forgot the heartbroken girl who left his ship two years previously, and when he learns that her fiance`'s death and the recent death of his ship's doctor are connected, he pays a call on Tillie. Urged on by his rather wild younger brother, Morgan decides to stay in town a little longer to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding these two deaths and the attacks on Tillie. He soon wishes he hadn't - partly due to the increase of attacks, and partly because his brother and Tillie appear to be falling in love. With so much to lose, Morgan must find a way to save everyone because that's his job. Right?

Likes/Dislikes: A very action-packed well paced novel with a mystery element that unfolded beautifully! I quite enjoyed this story, though I must admit that the love triangle between Tillie, Morgan and his brother Cass was annoying. But then again, I always find love triangles to be that way. This is apparently the third book in a series, but you can't really tell.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content {mild violence, a past pregnancy out of wedlock}.

Date Report Written: April 17th 2014.

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Walking With Dinosaurs Movie Review

Title: Walking With Dinosaurs.

Starring: Justin Long {Patchi}, Skyler Stone {Scowler},Tiya Sircar {Juniper}, Charlie Rowe {Ricky}, Karl Urban {Uncle Zack}, Angourie Rice {Jade},  and John Leguizaamo {Alex}.

Release Date: To Theaters: December 14th, 2013. To DVD: March 25th, 2014.

Genre: Animation/Live Action, Family, Action/Adventure, Educational, Dinosaurs, Humor.

Plot: Bored out of his mind while on a trip with his paleontologist uncle Zack, Ricky sits in the car mulling over the Gorgosaurus tooth his uncle gave him while his uncle and sister go to the fossil bed. Out of nowhere, a talking crow named Alex swoops down and morphs into a prehistoric bird called Alexornis, and narrates the following story about his buddy Patchi, the smallest Patchyrhinosaurus in his litter.

Bullied by his bigger rather dumb older brother Scowler and almost eaten at a young age, Patchi quickly discovers that living in his world is a dangerous adventure. He meets the love of his life, Juniper, on one adventure and quickly becomes friends with her. His bond with Alex {who looks a lot like a chicken}, is a strong friendship. As Patchi grows and learns, he finds a strength in himself that he never knew he had and it comes in very handy when he faces his greatest battle - saving the herd and winning back Juniper.

Likes/Dislikes: Since I was a kid, I've always loved dinosaurs and been fascinated by them. Although, due to vivid dreams, I decided it was a good thing that they weren't around still. When I saw the trailer for this film, I immediately wanted to see it. It wasn't entirely what I expected though; it was more educational and less adventure. And it was a tad too long, but I still enjoyed it. Patchi was a very humble down-to-earth character and he was so sweet and cute; I loved him! Scowler was so stupid it was funny, and Alex was a very funny character - very sarcastic in his own way. I'd recommend this movie to everyone, especially if they love dinosaurs.

Rating: Official rating: PG. My rating: G.

Date Report Written: May 16th, 2014.

Rapunzel Let Down Book Review

Title: Rapunzel Let Down.

Author: Regina Doman.

Genre: Catholic, Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance, Action/Adventure, Drama.

Plot: Hermes is the youngest son of three sons. His father's political career dominates his family, and his two older brothers are mean and take everything {particularly pretty girls he shows an interest in} from him. Finally, one eventful summer, he finds something that his brothers don't have and he keeps it to himself: a tower in which lives a beautiful girl named Raphaela. His visits are dangerous and made so by the fact that Raphaela's mother is paranoid of strangers, the groundskeeper is creepy and trigger-happy, and Hermes has to climb the tower freehand. But he keeps visiting anyway and quite quickly makes a mistake that he will regret for a long time to come.

Fifteen year old Raphaela was adopted by her career-oriented scientist mother and, while having a privileged life, never had a truly happy one. Her mother has plans for her and none of them are what Raphaela would like for her own future. Her dreams are to be a doctor. When a mysterious eighteen year old boy climbs up her tower and tumbles into her room, Raphaela sees a chance to make a new interesting friend and to possibly escape her mother's world. But Hermes has other plans and Raphaela's plans are put on hold indefinitely as she makes a run for her life, and the lives of her unborn twins.

Likes/Dislikes: This is a very graphic, nitty-gritty novel to read, but it packs a powerful punch. Having sex outside of marriage really does have far-reaching consequences {though possibly not as bad as the ones our heroes face}, and few people nowadays recognize this fact. As we watch the characters struggle and endure the harsh consequences of their actions, we get to see them grow, mature and find the bright side of life. It was personally difficult for me to read certain parts, but the underlying beauty of the story made up for that. I personally would've made the one major scene that everything hangs off of a little more descriptive - taking in especially how Raphaela was feeling. But it came off beautifully. I don't recommend this for a young impressionable readers, but it's a good read for mature ones.

Rating: PG-18 and up, mainly for content.

Date Report Written: April 17th 2014.

I received a copy free from the author in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Turbo Movie Review

Title: Turbo.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds {Theo/Turbo}, Paul Giamatti {Chet}, Michael Pena {Tito Lopez}, Snoop Dogg {Smooth Move}, Maya Rudolph {Burn}, Samuel L. Jackson {Whiplash}, Ben Schwartz {Skidmark}, Michael Patrick Bell {White Shadow} and others.

Release Date: To theaters: July 17th, 2013. To DVD: November 12th, 2013.

Genre: Animation, Family, Action/Adventure, Comedy.

Plot: Theo has always wanted to live life in the fast track. Unfortunately, he's a snail and can only go so fast. It doesn't help that all the other snails in his community - including his brother Chet - make fun of his desire to go fast. After a failed attempt to save a tomato from the lawn mower, a depressed Theo wanders off and comes across street racers. In a freak accident, Theo gains super speed from nitrous oxide. When experimenting with his newfound power, Theo gets himself and his brother fired from their job and accidentally on their way to a whole new adventure. Teaming up with newfound friends Whiplash, White Shadow, Burn, Smooth Move and Skidmark, Theo sets out to realize his dream of racing in the Indy 5oo.

Likes/Dislikes: Turbo is about a snail that wants to go fast. Perhaps a little cliche` but entertaining nonetheless. Children of all ages would enjoy this film and, aside from snails being smushed and/or carried off from crows, there's nothing really bad in it. My husband picked up on an underlying theme at the beginning of the movie about not being okay with who you are. Sometimes, you really do have to just be okay with who you are and accept your strengths and weaknesses.

Rating: Official rating: PG. My rating: G.

Date Report Written: April 29th, 2014.

A Most Peculiar Circumstance Book Review

Title: A Most Peculiar Circumstance.

Author: Jen Turano.

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Action/Adventure, Drama, Mystery.

Plot: Arabella Beckett is a high and mighty lady with a single goal in mind to help women in general, and the less fortunate in particular. She supports the women's rights movement and travels around to rallies and meetings. In the midst of these travels, she lands herself in some tricky trouble that has far reaching consequences. She is reluctantly rescued by private investigator Theodore Wilder who was sent to find her by her brother Hamilton.

What started out as a favor has escalated to the point where Theodore is at his wit's end and thoroughly frustrated by Arabella. However, there is something intriguing and captivating about the accident-prone spitfire, so he keeps tabs on her. When the trouble Arabella landed in follows her to New York and she sticks her nose in it again, Theodore becomes invested in finding out just who means Arabella harm. Unfortunately, he also belatedly discovers that he's falling in love with her.

Likes/Dislikes: This story was action packed and moved at a good pace once it got going. It was billed as being hilarious, but I didn't find it to be the side-splitting fun that I thought it would be. I did enjoy it though; just not as much as I wanted to. I loved the part where Theodore takes Arabella to his grandparents' house, and Arabella's name is wonderfully creative. A few minor characters are prostitutes in need of rescuing and Arabella disguises herself as one. Because of that, I wouldn't let a younger reader read this book. But there wasn't anything graphic or obvious in it.

Rating: PG-15 and up for reading level and content.

Date Report Written: April 17th 2014.

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Oblivion Movie Review

Title: Oblivion.

Starring: Tom Cruise {Jack Harper}, Morgan Freeman {Malcolm Beech}, Olga Kurylenko {Julia Rusakova}, Andrea Riseborough {Victoria Olsen}, and Melissa Leo {Sally}.

Release Date: To theaters: April 19th, 2013. To DVD: August 6th, 2013.

Genre: Science Fiction, Futuristic, Action/Adventure.

Plot: In the year 2077, the world is a wasteland ravaged by war sixty years ago. Tech 49 Jack Harper and his teammate Victoria Olsen are among the last humans on Earth - everyone else having been relocated to Jupiter's moon Titan. Their job is to protect and maintain the fusion energy generators that power life on Titan. Despite having had memory wipes five years prior, Jack is haunted by memories of an unknown woman and his sense of curiosity and adventure cause conflict between him and Victoria. All Victoria cares about is heading for Titan and to finally be done with Earth.

When a ship crash-lands nearby, Jack goes to investigate and saves the woman from his memories when the drones start attacking. Having clearly done something against regulations but not quite clear on what's going on, Jack embarks on an adventure to discover the truth about the destruction of Earth and who he really is.

Likes/Dislikes: The techno effects and setting of this film are amazing; the scope of it is huge yet contained to the small area that Jack is concerned with. The adventure of the film is wonderful and the plot is well defined with plenty of fun twists. I didn't much like Victoria though, and the two scenes with her could've been left out. Having seen them wake up together, we really don't need any additional info to know that they're lovers.

Rating: Official rating: PG-13. My rating: PG-15 and up for content.

Date Report Written: April 29th, 2014.