Movie Les Misrables

Les Miserables (2012 film)

Directed by tom Hooper

Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg

For stealing a piece of bread, a man (Jean Valjean) is imprisoned and then hunted down by Javert, a policeman for years. This version won eight Academy Awards. The awards worldwide are too many to mention.

I, as the Academy, agree that the acting and singing is super. It took me two years to get around to seeing it – I don’t like going to the movies – on TV.

The movie portrays the history of France before and leading up to their 1860s Revolution. Victor Hugo’s book comes alive through music.

Jean and Javert’s journey comes to an end. But you’ll have to see it you enjoy it.

The cast is huge, but the most important are: Hugh Jackman as Jean, who won best actor; Russell Crow as Javert; Anne Hathaway as Fantine, who won best supporting actor; Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Fantine's daughter; and many other excellent actors.

This story is about good overcoming evil, leading to a new beginning for France.

It’s just too long.

DVD at amazon or get on your TV:  http://amzn.to/1EkDZl2

   

Review of Beyond the Great River

Beyond the Great River

People of the Longhouse, Book 1

Written by Zoe Saadia

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

Trusting someone is difficult when there is a language, religious, or cultural bearer. This still seems to be one of the major problems in our world today.

In Ms. Saadia’s Beyond the Great River series, she gets down to the basics of this problem, using a 14^th century Mohican Indian village being attacked by foreigners - the Iroquois. Each side thinks that the others are pagans, not really knowing anything about each other.

The link between the two warring tribes comes from an unlikely source – a woman. And in those days women had no say what-so-ever. This young woman by the name of Kentika is not passive like all the others of her tribe - she speaks her mind upsetting many. She is tolerated, because of her father's position.

Her strong tomboy personality, faith in humans, and her acquired language gift, allowed her to become the link to the world Beyond the Great River. She pays a high price for who she is, during the adventure in meeting Okwaho of the attacking tribe on a romp through the woods.

Their story is at times strange, funny, and tragic. Where it ends, leaves the reader wondering what comes next. This is what makes this first book in a series a good one to read – it should leave you thinking. This is an excellent example. 

I have read a few of Ms. Saadia’s books and I recommend them highly. She gets to the core of her characters’ personalities and brings them alive in a no nonsense writing style.

   

Purchase her books at: http://amzn.to/1CSqLI9

Review Bangkok Rules

Bangkok Rules

Written By Harlan Wolff

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

I have been reviewing detective/whodunit books for about 40 years now. They are my favorite genre. Bangkok Rules has all the ingredients: A cleaver private detective, villains, and an outstanding background written professionally.

Wolff’s PI Carl Engel is put in a position of doom, where he has no control over the events in his adopted country Thailand – he adopted it. He has learned the Thai way of life with its underlining currents of corruption since his teens.

He is given a case by an unlikely source. This client brings about his own future, which leads to the unfolding of an evil person who enjoys his life style. His corruption is so vile, that the fowl stench upsets Carl into action.

Carl’s action is confusing to the people around him, who are aiding him to the point that most feel he should leave the country. He is up against a truly destructive powerful group of individuals.

He finds his way to everyone’s surprise including one of his targets. He overcomes his adversities.

Wolff’s fast paced novel kept me intrigued. I have been to Thailand, Vietnam, and other counties in Asia. If you haven’t, this is a good read to get you in touch. If you have, the novel will please you with its content.

Purchase at http://amzn.to/1E4KqWE

    

Review of My Boyfriend Merlin

My Boyfriend Merlin

My Merlin Series –Book 1

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

If you know what Gargoyles, Wizards, and Regulars are, you will have the background to read this novel. If you don’t, then you will enjoy the education.

In either case, Ms. Priya Ardis has put together an interesting modern twist on a medieval story.

This Book 1, in a series, sets that background for event s to come. There is training, a battle, and a love story as a backdrop to the potential end of the world.

Merlin has become Matt coming from the past to help avoid past events. His trainee is a modern Regular girl by the name of Ryan. His estranged brother Vane has another Wizard trainee.

They are training to compete against the Gargoyles to control the destiny of the world. The conflicts are many and somewhat amusing to me – not my cup of tea.

However, I enjoyed the portrayal Ms. Ardis purports and feel she did a fine job presenting the plausibility of her story. She did her research and converted the past into present day vehicular for young adults to follow with ease.

I recommend the read. 

Free at Amazon today: http://amzn.to/1shA6ZI

Review of On The Rails

Review of ‘On The Rails’
By
Suzan Collins

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

The tedious and boring function of taking the train and then the subway (Tube in the UK) consecutively, is interwoven into this story of a woman named Nikki, whose quests is to find her soul mate. She has found him and commits to a venture that requires her to commute into London from her country home each time his sponsored charity’s organization requires her to be at a meetings.

This feat happens three to four times a week – three to four hours each way. It’s a trip I would not undertake myself for any reason, never mind for love.

Nikki has money and time, because of an event that broke her heart and she is trying to fill that void by Volunteering. She tells her friends that the trips aren't bad; because she gets the charity’s work done while riding the rails.

She connects with the man of her dreams, a man she flirts with, and a man who wants her. Those story lines and that of a commuter’s trials and errors in trying to get from point A to point B are incorporated into what the author calls a Chick Lit. Adventure. There is romance, but I feel too much traveling.

The traveling back and forth seems over written at times, but it is the glue that brings Ms. Collins’ story forward, because it is here we learn about how Nikki is coping with the world around her and the romances in her life.

To find out about those romances and how she copes with them and her traveling experiences, I recommend this adventure which will take a few sittings to understand all of Nikki’s rail adventures. Take the book on a long train ride or many trips in the Tube. It will be enjoyable that way.

Purchase at http://www.amazon.com/.../B003Z.../ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Top Ten of 2014 ALL TIME

It's been a great year 2014 for my blog and I want to thank all these authors and many more for helping me promote their books. It averaged 30,000 Page Viewers over the last three months with an All Time views which are heading towards a Quarter of a Million in a month.

Most of All, I want to thank all you readers and followers who re-tweeted my post to Help get these books to their readers. 

#1  The Audubon Caper 

#2  10276 in Two Months 

#3  Three Wives of Don Quixote Smith

#4  The Fall of the Empire 

#5  Thick As Thieves 

#6  The Desolate Garden 

#7  What it takes 

#8  Prince of the City 

#9  Bourbon and Blood 

 

#10 Unbelievable  

If you read this far, I hope you purchased one of these books. That would make me Happy and the authors that wrote these fine novels

Review of Game of Love

Game of Love

Written by Melissa Foster

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

Finding ones’ way in life is a chore. But knowing who you are can be a tougher challenge without proper feedback from a loving family and friends.

In their teenage years, Dex and Ellie were an item but not lovers in the biblical way. They were friends.

Her presence in his life gave him strength. However, Ellie had strengths of another kind but her home environment weakened them and led her to the Remington’s home, especially to Dex’s room.  

Her home environment led to mental road blocks that affected the way Ellie communicated her feelings. Dex has no doubt of his abilities or who he is, because he was nurtured by his family and his best friend, unbeknown to her, Ellie.

Because of reasons not told to Dex, Ellie was taken out of his life. She is now on his door step again, four years after a prior short encounter. She still has emotional baggage – insecurities as to who she is – strengths and weaknesses.

Dex’s caring and loving pushes Ellie in the right direction, but it is a women friend of his that clearly helps Ellie see some light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s a gripping story from the beginning to end, that will have you crying, and laughing at times. Traumatic events bring us to the conclusion.

Ms. Foster’s style of characterization leaves no doubt as to who loves who; and the steam in the relationship goes up and down, keeping the reader guessing if the joining of Dex and Ellie will ever be completed.

Game of Love, The Remingtons, Book One; Love in Bloom Series stands alone. However, it may be interesting to see who will fall in love in the next book of this series.

Purchase at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1rrasBz