Lips Touch - Three Times by Laini Taylor

This book was recommended to me by a friend who shares many of my tastes. She showed it to me in a shop, taking care to point out the stunning production value of the hardback edition and the beautiful illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo. I don't even think she had read it yet, but for some reason I bought it only to have it become shamefully neglected among the hundreds (simply too many) books that I own and haven't read yet.

Well, now I've read it, and why did I leave it so long?!?! It was fantastic!

It is a collection of three stories that each explore a different style of mythology. Not strictly, mind you, but that's the beauty of a fiction writer, they can take any inspiration they like and create their own world. And that is exactly what Laini Taylor has done, created three separate but vivid worlds. In the author's note she says "Like a magpie, I am a scavenger of shiny things: fairy tales, dead languages, weird folk beliefs, fascinating religions, and more." But she points out she is no scholar, nor should she be; this is not non-fiction.

What it is, however, is brilliantly written! Even though paranormal romance can bore me silly at times, right from the beginning the quality of her writing had me lapping it up. I should clarify: these stories aren't strictly paranormal romance. In fact, they would be better described as mythology based fantasy. But in each story, a kiss, or lips touching, plays something of a key part.

The three stories each begin with a series of illustrations that provide a visual prologue for the story to come.

Goblin Fruit

Spicy Little Curses

Such As These

Hatchling

REALLY good! Very worth reading!

All the time I was reading it, Laini Taylor's name was playing somewhere in the back of my mind as being familiar somehow. When I sat down to write this blog, I realised where from: she's the author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone which people have been raving about for months AND I was given a copy of for Christmas. So now I'm even more excited to read it because I know how good an author she is! I wonder where I'll find the time to squeeze it in.

4.5 Gold Stars

Find it on Goodreads

6/40

Immortals

A bit of background before you think I’m crazy for being desperate for rushing out to see Immortals.

Years ago I saw the movie ‘The Cell’ and thought it was really interesting. True, the acting wasn’t the best, and J-Lo and Vince Vaughn of all people? But that aside, the ideas behind it and the imagery in its finishing were fascinating.

Several years passed and my brother sent me a message saying ‘If you liked Pan’s Labyrinth, then you’ll probably like The Fall.’ As it happened, Pan’s Labyrinth was my favourite at the time, so I thought I’d check out ‘The Fall’. I’m not sure how he heard about it, because very few people I speak to, if any, have heard of it (It was never released in Australia either to the cinema or on DVD). When I saw it, I knew I had found gold. The Fall became (and remains) my all-time-favourite-movie (if you force me to pick just one).

A short time later I saw on IMDB that Tarsem Singh was working on something new. Sorry, to clarify: he directed both The Cell and The Fall but up until then hadn’t directed any other films. So news of a new one, and one based on Greek Mythology no less, was extremely exciting.

So, I have been waiting almost 3 years to actually see this from when I first heard of it. Unfortunately my excitement started waning when I saw the preview. It appeared he’d gone blockbuster/action. Still, I wanted to see it.

So, this week was the time! It had arrived here was an opportunity…

It was as I feared. “The producers of 300” (apparently a drawcard) had decided they wanted to make the same movie over again, but borrow some of Tarsem’s visionary genius to paint on top of it. Over the top action sequences that not only tried to glorify the blood that was literally free flowing like exploded water balloons, but attempted to make it somehow artistically beautiful as well. Semi-naked buff bodies filling up rooms like a ball pit, and a script that was predictable and unfulfilling.

It was ridiculous. Did I enjoy it? Yes, but I was still disappointed.  It was magnificently ridiculous and beautiful. I hope that sometime in the future Tarsem can find it in himself to make genuinely brilliant film like The Fall again, but if his next venture is anything to go by, it looks like a exponential decline.

I feel I need to mention how uncomfortably loud the cinema was, and how pointless and annoying the 3D aspect was. For an industry that wants to encourage movie patronage, they seem to be going out of their way to turn people off the cinema experience. I for one was just reminded how much I prefer to watch movies at home where I can control the volume and am not forced to pay extra to wear a 2^nd pair of glasses while watching a movie. (yes, I mean forced. I searched for a non-3D session in VMax and found I would have to drive for an hour and a half to see the one session a day in which that option was available.)

In summary, it’s possibly worth watching for the Tarsem shell they’ve encased it in, but do not be fooled that you will be seeing anything new, and know exactly what you’re signing up to.