I read this book about two or even three years ago. I remember it well. I've been trying to find more books by Ekaterina Sedia since reading "The Secret History of Moscow" but so far I have been out of luck. When I find a book it isn't available for delivery to my location. I would especially like to read "The Alchemy of Stone" which is about history and gargoyles. I have a long standing interest in gargoyles and grotesques and the old buildings they are part of.

Ekaterina Sedia writes fiction about Russian history, legend and lore.

She writes urban fantasy mingled with a fairy tale for modern readers. Her writing is unclear in that good way that pulls you into the story and makes you think about what you are reading, think about how it all fits together and where it is all going. I love a book that assumes I have a brain!

The Secret History of Moscow is...

• a little creepy but not actually scary
• about crows and ravens stealing people away
• about a secret, underground sort of world
• are you really not yet tempted to read the book?

Reading "The Secret History of Moscow" made me wish I had paid more attention to what I do know about Russian history. I don't know a lot but I did think I had absorbed or researched enough to find my way around. I was not as clever as I thought. As I read I found out about individual people and events and I wrote notes to find out more. But, the book is not a dry historical tome. There is life in the history she writes. There is romance, mystery and seduction in her story.

This is not the standard story you read from standard romance or fantasy or science fiction writers coming from the US. You will find a difference in the writing style and the way the story is told too. But, we need some shaking up and the chance to explore another culture through it's works of fiction. You can read about another country, another culture but you can't see between the cracks, read the minds, hearts and souls of the people until you wander past the non-fiction section and read about more than the facts and statics written for tourists.

I'm not going to rehash the story. You can read the preview and reviews on Amazon. But don't read too much there. Read the book for yourself and form your own fresh opinions and ideas.

Savour the adventure and mystery of a culture you may never see from this depth and perspective again.

Postcard "Forgotten Moscow"

I was a fan of Dark Shadows before Tim Burton and Johnny Depp made an updated version of the old cult horror classic TV show.

I watched Dark Shadows in the 1970's when I was still young and impressionable. No wonder it stuck with me. I didn't get all the storyline, but I knew it was something dark and mysterious and probably too spooky for me. Dark Shadows was the only horror I watched and did not later have nightmares from. (I never did become a fan of horror).

I'm watching Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins in the 2012 movie remake of Dark Shadows. It's mainly a comedy. It misses the soap opera quality of the original series. But, I doubt it was aiming in that direction. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp do bring the dark elements in and manage to keep it from sinking into absolute horror. In that way, the Dark Shadows movie is a success. I am liking it.

But...

I still like the old TV series best. There are other versions but I have not seen them. The previews seem more slanted towards horror and looking bloody. That wasn't part of the charm of Dark Shadows. The element of the soap opera was the unique draw of the TV series. There was such a great combination of horror, fear, mystery, darkness and the unknown but, it was tempered by the soap opera atmosphere. It worked wonderfully.

Jonathan Frid (1924 - 2012) was a Canadian actor who starred as Barnabas Collins in the original TV series. Ironic that he had a cameo appearance in the Dark Shadows movie but died about one month before it was released to theatres. When I think about Dark Shadows it is always the face of Jonathan Frid I see in my mind.

Dark Shadows Wiki

Dark Shadows has been Revived (more than once)!

Veronica Mars is like Nancy Drew for the cell phone age.

I began watching the TV series when it was new on TV. I liked it. But, as often happens with TV, I just wasn't home enough to see it and when I was there I couldn't find it on. So I have a scattered idea of the storyline. But, I have been looking forward to seeing it all run again so I could catch up and fill in the gaps. I was glad to see the movie get a chance. Young women need a stand up type of heroine to be a good trailblazer!

Who is Veronica Mars?

Veronica Mars continues to have adventures, sleuth around and generally get into and out of trouble. Kristen Bell stars as Veronica Mars in the TV series created by Rob Thomas. The original TV series ran from 2004 to 2007. After the third season it was cancelled. But fans (who call themselves Marshmallows) wanted the story and the characters back. A KickStarter campaign raised the funds and support for Veronica Mars to be continued as a movie.

• Where: the fictional and affluent town of Neptune, California.
• Who: Keith and Veronica Mars
• When: 2004 and ongoing
• What: the murder of Lilly Kane
• Why: isn't that always the best question and the least likely to have an answer?

In the TV series Veronica's best friend is murdered and Veronica makes friends and enemies as she is determined to figure out what happened to Lilly Kane. Veronica's Father (Keith Mars) is the county Sheriff but is removed from office and starts up his own private investigations firm. He gets cases and Veronica often helps. Of course, the TV series includes all the regular high school stuff with dating, jealousy and making your place in the world.

The movie was released as an update on the life and times of Veronica Mars. Now she has graduated law school and about to move on with her career, an interview with the FBI. But, she is pulled back to her old home town when her on and off again boyfriend, Logan, is accused of murder, Veronica only plans to make sure he is getting good help but once she starts looking around things just don't see right and next thing Veronica is on the case!

You can also begin reading the series of Veronica Mars books, also from Rob Thomas. The books continue the story of Veronica after the movie. You won't see Kristen Bell but you can imagine her in the pages of the book.

Mars Investigations

Watching this movie now makes me very sad for the loss of Heath Ledger. His character brought so much to 10 Things I Hate About You. He was fun, really fun in the way that makes you smile in spite of knowing this is all just a movie and these actors are following the script written for them. Health Ledger and Julia Stiles made the characters in this movie breathe a life of their own.

Did you Know the Movie is Based on The Taming of the Shrew?

It does help that The Taming of the Shrew is my favourite Shakespeare story. I love the character of Kate! I loved the character of Petruchio too, the way he tolerated Kate with humour and did not give up in his determined pursuit of her. Yet, he did not become aggressive or a stalker type to feel threatening. Even in those days hundreds of years ago men could find that balance, in some cases. Kate, of course, was the star of the story. Her aggression so different from what was expected of women.

In 10 Things I Hate About You Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger brought The Taming of the Shrew into the modern world. I loved it, the story itself was dusted off and given fresh style and updated, enough that it can still stand without seeming dated more than 10 years later. I liked the story of Kat, when we find out why she is angry and has closed herself off from mostly everyone else. I especially like Kat being a soccer player too. Julia Stiles has always been so much like my own youngest sister who was a soccer player right up until she was 40+.

The Charming Heath Ledger

Most of all, I can’t resist the charm of Heath Ledger, his character, Patrick, in the movie. What woman does not want to be charmed and pursued in spite of herself? What woman does not have a soft spot for the guy who can really talk to her, and listen? What woman does not secretly like a guy who goes out of his way to pay court to her, without being less than masculine or overly mushy and romantic? I will never forget Patrick, the character in the movie, singing to Kat as she ignored him from the soccer field. Of course he got the girl!

Everyone Should Read Taming of the Shrew at Least Once

You can read it or watch it in a lot of different versions and remakes too. Everyone should read Taming of the Shrew at least once. I first read it in English class, in high school. That year the play was also on at the Stratford Festival. All the English classes who had read Taming of the Shrew went to see it, live on the stage. It was wonderfully awesome.

The movie gets it’s title from the poem Julia Stiles (Kat) reads near the end. I found a video post of it, below. If you have seen the movie can you listen to Kat read the poem and not have a tear? I’ve seen the movie at least five times and I get a tear each time. It’s a shame the video doesn’t go a bit longer to the scene out at the car afterwards. But, you can get the movie and see it all, from start to finish.

Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian drama television series set in vintage Toronto, Ontario. As the series began the year was 1895. The new seasons have progressed in time to where it is now the early 1900's with new inventions and technology as they came along.

Murdoch is like a vintage mad scientist in a police officer's uniform. However, the show does take some liberties with technology and knowledge available at the time. Although they don't step over the boundary of using something not invented yet, they do invent things which reflect our modern knowledge more than a police detective could have hoped for at that time. Some history purists may not like this but, I actually think it is part of the fun. Murdoch is like a steampunk/ Victorian age mad scientist in a police officer's uniform solving crimes with science and logic.

Yannick Bisson stars as William Murdoch, a police detective and amateur scientist.

Wikipedia says Murdoch Mysteries is known as The Artful Detective in the United States. In Canada, Murdoch Mysteries runs on our wonderful CBC. I'm rewatching the series on NetFlix currently so it is getting well distributed, where ever and how ever you like to watch.

The television series is based on the series of novels by Maureen Jennings. I read the books before they were turned into television. The books stand on their own. If you want a good story, especially a good vintage/ historical Victorian story, then take a look at the books. There are seven in the series but I found them all together as a collection on Amazon. (See the link below). It's been years since I first read the books and I'm tempted to order the collection and read them all again myself.

What I remember of the character of Officer Murdoch from the books was a very quiet man, self contained, who cared about the people in town. He helped women who were out on the streets. Like people in that time period he did not date and take women home with him waving them off in the morning. There was a woman who lived in the same building and he liked her but didn't quite date her. She had a son and Murdoch was happy to spend some time with him.

This woman and her son didn't become his love interest in the television series. Instead he has a woman doctor, Julia Ogden, who helps him with his work and she becomes the woman he loves from near and afar over the series.