Outside of a Dog: fantasy

I finished a book for the One, Two, Theme! Challenge and of course the Series Challenge. Five Odd Honors by Jane Lindskold is for the Mah-jongg challenge in particular. (In a bit of crossover blogging I bought and read it on my new Kindle, which was a very nice experience). This gives me two of the tree books I need for this level of the challenge. Overall, this challenge is going pretty well!

Five Odd Honors is the third book in the Breaking the Wall series, which I love love love. To say I was excited to read this book would be an understatement. It is a great series, start at the beginning. I'm going to review it, but not say much about the plot as well if you haven't read any of it yet it is very very spoilery. The series is Urban fantasy (don't worry not the glittery vampire and angsty girl kind). It is about a group of magical people who's cool form of chinese type magic is linked to the chinese zodiac. And Mah-jongg was created to help them remember and write spells. These people's ancestors were exiles and they are trying to get back/make piece with the lands they came from.

As I mentioned I loved the first two books. While I liked this book, I was a touch disappointing. The characters were all scattered about and doing their own thing . . . what I like about the characters (well, what I like the most) is how they interact with each other. So, I found this disappointing. Particularly because the characters who's interactions are the more fun to read were not together. Not a lot of deep character stuff happened, which also disappointed me. The action was good and it was way more gory and violent then the previous books (not actually a problem for me). In essence it was good, but not great. The first two are great (in my opinion). The book felt a lot like a place holder. Away to finish up the first series (3 book) story arch and then move to the next arch. I hate that.

The result. I'm desperately waiting to see when (if?) the next book comes out. I have faith. I love the series. It can recover from this, my not so favorite book. Jane Linskold tends toward the long series or the stand alone. So, I'm hoping for another.

I've mentioned before that I really like Lists. I also really like movies. They don't make it onto the Blog much, but their pretty great. I like a diverse range of Movies so I have very specific lists. All time best is ridiculous! How could one choose! It would just be about what mood I was it. They are kind of ranked (as best I can), but really the differences are not huge.

**Please note: Many of these movies are graphic, so check it out before you watch anything**

Top 20 Action Movies:

I love action movies of all kinds. Some of these have a plot and you know characters, while others . . . not so much. You need to embrace that about action movies, it is part o their charm!

20. Death Race (both) - campy with a silly premise, but great. That applies to both.

100 points for the old lady . . .

Pick your favorite . . .

19. Bird on a Wire - so fun!

80s goodness . . . overlook the hair . . .

18. The Gauntlet - the title pretty much tells you whats up. Will they make it?

Clint is best.

17. The Rundown - hilarious and good action!

I feel like a little boy who's lost his first tooth, put it under his pillow, waiting for the tooth-fairy to come . . . (Chris Walken!)

16. Commando - if Arnold's in it you know its ridiculous and awesome.

All that grease helps you blend in, right?

15. The Replacement Killers - hitmen who don't like to kill people are a classic.

Great poster art too . . . always focus on the guns . . .

14. Payback - okay this one will make you think a bit too. It's like a smart action movie. I know crazy.

Another great gun focused poster!

13. The Defender - he's protecting a girl . . . so its okay.

Oh no! She's a target - I love marshal arts action!

12. Danny the Dog (Unleashed)- a fun concept and lots of good marshal arts stunts!

I love Jet Li! (yes, that is Morgan Freeman)

11. Tango and Cash - a classic . . . it mostly holds up. I love the Jail Break!

Sly and Kurt . . .

10. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - kind of complicated, but fun . . . even if you don't follow it.

See critics like it too!

9. Pulp Fiction - I love Quintin Tarintino he just so odd and it comes across in his brilliantly odd movies!

The sound track is great too

8. Grosse Pointe Blank - like I said a hitman who doesn't like to kill is a classic.

Ignore the kind of pink background, its cool

7. Lethal Weapon (anyone really) - A great series of classic buddy action movies . . . the first one is best of course.

See their buddies and they fight crime . . .

6. The Transporter - not much for plot, but a lot of good action (this is an action list, why are you asking about plot anyway?)

Two guns!

5. La Femme Nikita - weird french spy action movie! This on has a plot, so there.

Poor little french waif . . .

4. Hot Fuzz - so its a spoof of action movies . . . and it has good action . . .

Look at all that fire! No burns though, action stars don't start on fire.

3. Kill Bill 1 and 2 - kind of the perfect ode to old crappy marshal arts movies. With sword fights and gun fights too.

This one has a swell soundtrack too!

2. Die Hard (all of them) - my family watches the first one every Christmas (its a Christmas movie . . . for real, look at the soundtrack). It has a plot, but you don't have to think about it so don't worry.

Yippy yi-yay . . .

1. The Professional - this one is very touching and stressful, but good.

Don't worry they don't make you look up his nose in the actual movie . . .

Top 20 Sci Fi Movies:

Sci-fi movies really run the gauntlet from deep to just action in space. I like it all. Sci-Fi movies are my favorite! Many people think they don't like sci-fi, which is just silly. That is like saying you don't like movies (clearly you like being told a story or you wouldn't watch anything). There are drama sci-fi, comedy sci-fi, whatever sci-fi, you just need to look.

20. Transformers - silly and over the top and I love it.

I am Optimus Prime

19. Predator - just a great sci-fi monster movie, with great 80s action stars!

Commandos vs Aliens!

18. Cyborg - A classic Jean Claude VanDamme movie. Post-apocalypse period is a classic.

Welcome to the GUN SHOW . . .

17. Last Star Fighter - video games can improve your life! And get you the girl!

Have skills will travel

16. Signs - kind of an alien thriller . . .

Never underestimate the power of tin foil!

15. Starship Troopers - straight up action sci-fi (it is suppose to be a spoofy, so take it in stride)

Fighting bugs to protect you!

14. Inception - okay this on has great special effects, but also a great plot!

Surreal, but not too surreal

13. Tremors - a funny sci-fi monster movie!

This movie is zero degrees from Kevin Bacon!

12. Running Man - so bad and yet so good!

Arnold's face can sell this movie by itself!

11. Escape from New York - a true post-apocalyptic classic!

Snake Plissken is the future . . .

10. Star Trek (particularly Wrath of Khan) - a much cleaner future, where we kind of rule space . . .

Ricardo Mantalban! Awesome!

9. Star Wars (IV, V, VI) - Don't watch the new old trilogy. Stick with the originals. Westerns in Space!

The shag survives and reaches space!

8. Moon - no action, no aliens, just good plot!

Sam Rockwell is amazing!

7. Alien Nation - Mixing to of my favorites the buddy action movie and sci-fi!

Aliens are just like you . . . with a funny egg head

6. The Fifth Element - beautifully weird and french!

I've tried to get my hair that color of orange but never succeeded

5. Enemy Mine - a fantastic movie about prejudice and learning to love - in space with aliens!

Dennis Quaid Rocks this movie!

4. Alien - this is by far the scariest on the list. But, worth it. All of the series is worth watching, but none are as good as the first.

Ripley is one tough lady

3. Terminator (1 and 2 only) - Fantastic set! Sarah Conner has one of the best character arcs ever!

Watch them both!

2. Pitch Black - nicely dark, different, and filled with action. Visually awesome as well.

Everyone is at least a bit afraid of the dark!

1. Mad Max (all of them) - Just a classic set of post-apocalyptic movies. Lots of crazy punks and action.

Don't worry roads survive . . .

Top 20 Fantasy Movies (that's right I can split them):

I love fantasy stories, but I tend to read them more than watch them. Fantasy is just harder to do well on the big screen. I've made a good list though. Obviously I'd say that.

20. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - a slacker classic.