Blogger Book Fair

Friday Five: English Language

Welcome to this week’s Friday Five. If you haven’t been here before, this is nothing more than my random rambling about something that interests me, with a list of five, in no particular order. Because I'm a lover of completely useless trivia, this week’s list is five random pieces of trivia about the English language (according to Amercan English anyway). Hope you enjoy!

 

Five Random Pieces of Trivia About the English Language:

 

1. “Stewardesses” is the longest word typed using only your left hand (which, by the way, does 56% of your typing. See, I knew we lefties had something over righties). Conversely, “lollipop” is the longest using only your right hand (notice it’s a shorter word, lazy righties). Of course, if you type like me, there’s not really any clear line between what letters you’re actually supposed to type with a specific hand—it’s fairly random. While we’re on the subject, “typewriter” is the longest word using letters from a single row on the keyboard.

 

 

2. There aren’t any words in the English language that rhyme with orange, silver, purple, or month—unless your name is Theodore Geisel in which case almost anything will rhyme with them. (Theodore Geisel is Dr. Seuss in case you didn’t know.)

3. Dreamt is the only word in the English language that ends with the letters “mt”, and there are only 4 words which end with “dous”: tremendous, hazardous, horrendous, and stupendous.

4. Ever wondered why when you download a new font, it gives you a sample sentence of: “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog”? That sentence uses every letter in the alphabet, so you can see what each letter looks like.

 

5. There are only two words (in the English language) which use all five vowels in order: facetious and abstemious. Can’t say as I’ve ever heard a single soul speak the word abstemious (which means moderate or temperate in eating/drinking).

 

 

I created the Friday Five graphic from an original image copyrighted by: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_10806220_number-five.html'>marincas_andrei / 123RF Stock Photo</a

Jamie Canosa's Vengeance

 

 

Things aren’t always as they seem. In fact, in a world of secrets and lies, almost nothing ever is. But, Kaleigh made her choices and now she has to live with the consequences. 

Haunted by her guilt, Kaleigh is forced to question everything she thought she knew. From friends and foes, to loyalty and love, she’s quickly losing faith in herself and those around her. 

Everyone she cares about has been launched to the front lines, but can Kaleigh find the strength within herself to keep fighting? Or, surrounded by loss, deceit, and betrayal, will her fiery spirit finally be extinguished?

Available at:  Amazon

My Review:

As a huge fan of Jamie Canosa's Dissidence, I couldn't wait for the sequel. But then I worried it might not be as good as the first. Sometimes when you're a little fanatical over something, any sequels will just disappoint. I can tell you right now that with the sequel, Vengeance, Jamie definitely didn't disappoint.

Vengeance begins right where Dissidence left off, in the wake of the explosion Kaleigh was right smack in the middle of. And the story never slows down. This time Kaleigh finds she has a new enemy to contend with. And she's contending with it in the midst of her overwhelming guilt and grief from how wrong things seem to have gone, and a strong desire for revenge that almost eclipses everything else.

This sequel is fast-paced, full of Kaleigh's fiery wit and sarcasm that so endeared me to her in the first book, and holds true to the love story that began when first she realized she had a choice to make between the two men who love her. I can't say enough good about this book. Once you start reading it, you won't be able to stop until you get to the perfect ending. If you're a fan of good writing, humor, romance, and non-stop action, then this book is one you won't want to miss.

 

Vengeance is the sequel to Dissidence, which you can read about below

 

In dystopian America, sixteen-year-old Kaleigh finds out quickly what having a big mouth and not enough brains to keep it shut can earn you. A one-way ticket to the work camps that no one even knows exists.

Nuclear war has ravished the nation, and a century later, the survivors are living in an entirely new world. In a society where everything is decided for you, from where you work to who you marry, dissidence is not taken lightly.

But, even inside the camps, Kaleigh’s fiery spirit refuses to be extinguished. In a single moment of defiance, she manages to spark a riot that ignites into a full-blown rebellion.

 

Dissidence available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

 

About the Author

Jamie Canosa is a full time author of YA literature, which she absolutely loves. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. She currently resides in Ravena, NY with her wonderful husband and three crazy kids . . . plus the dog, the bird and the rabbit.

Her debut novel, Dissidence, was published in 2012 along with several novellas, including ‘Temptation’, the first in her Heart and Soul mini-series, and her contemporary NA romance, Fight or Flight.

She currently has several projects in the works. Another (spin-off) contemporary NA romance, Sink or Swim, coming in July, the fourth and final installment of the Heart and Soul series coming in August, and the sequel to Fight or Flight, entitled Now or Never due out this fall.

Find Jamie at: Facebook  Blog  Goodreads  Twitter

 

Want to win your own copy of Jamie's book? Enter here.

 

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Excerpt 1

Janessa folded her arms and looked at me for so long I started to squirm. “What?”
“I wish you’d look at yourself. You’re ruining your life with this stupid obsession.”

“I’m not obsessed.” I stood up quickly, nearly tipping my chair over. I rinsed my plate and put it in the dishwasher. I could feel Janessa’s eyes on me the entire time, but I refused to look at her. “And just because I’m not interested in this guy doesn’t mean my life is ruined.”

“Let me guess. Was he blond?”

“Knock it off.”

“Too short?”

“He wasn’t short. I’ve got to go.” I left the kitchen with Janessa on my heels.

“Was he too cheerful?”

“Oh brother. I’m not having this conversation with you.”

Janessa grabbed my arm and turned me toward her. “Yes, you are.”

“I’m going to be late for work.”

“Then we’d better talk fast.”

“I don’t have anything to say,” I said.

“Then I’ll talk. You listen. You have to start giving these guys a chance.”

I folded my arms tightly. “I give them a chance.”

“You give them one date, two at the most. But you’re not really giving them a chance because your mind’s already made up before you even go out.”

I was getting annoyed. “I don’t have time for this conversation again.” Janessa was practically reciting word for word what she’d said after my last date. And the one before that.

“Lizzie. If you don’t want to have the same conversation, do something different. Shake things up a little.” She smiled and did a little shimmy. I refused to smile no matter how silly she looked.

“How do you suggest I do that?”

“If this guy… What’s his name?”

“Chad.”

“If Chad calls you back, go out with him again.”

“I don’t see the point.”

“Did you get a serial killer vibe from him?”

“No, I got a nice-guy-that-doesn’t-deserve-to-be-led-on vibe from him.”

“Nice guys are good. So you’ll say yes, right?”

“If I’m not interested, it wouldn’t be fair to say yes.”

“Oh knock off the baloney. You haven’t been fair to a guy since high school. You’re just afraid if you get to know a guy, you might like him. And wouldn’t that be awful? Was Chad funny?”

“Yes, he was funny.”

“Handsome?”

I sighed. “I don’t know if I’d call him handsome, but he was cute.”

“Cute is good. Especially if he was funny. So go out with him again.”

“You act like it’s all up to me.” I walked to the closet and collected my purse. Like a tiger leaping on her prey, Janessa pounced at the bowl on the entry table and grabbed my car keys. “This isn’t funny, Janessa. I’m going to be late for work.”

“Then let’s make a deal. You agree to go out with him ten times before you toss him aside and I’ll give you your keys.”

“Ten times? No way.”

“That’ll give you time to get to know him.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I’m serious, Lizzie. Ten is a good number. In that amount of time, you can make a real decision. Instead of one based on a stupid movie.”

Now Janessa was skipping through a minefield. “It’s not a stupid movie and I’ve got to go.”

“It’s the stupidest movie in the world if it ruins your life.”

“Nothing’s ruining my life and I’m going to be late. Give me my keys and we’ll talk about this later.” A little tussle ensued as I tried to rescue my keys from her clutches. I almost had them when she darted to the bathroom and shut the door hard and fast, locking it behind her. “This is real mature.”

“I don’t care about mature. You’re my best friend, Lizzie.  I love you and I’m trying to save you from yourself.”

I banged on the door. “Give me the keys. Now.” My voice had become shrieky.

“I’ll give you the keys as soon as you promise you’ll go out with him ten times.”

“I doubt he’ll ask me out again.”

“Why? Were you a jerk?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

I hesitated, knowing I hadn’t been very good company. “I’m pretty sure.”

“If he doesn’t ask you out, you have to ask him.”

“No way am I asking out a guy ten times. No way!”

“You just have to ask him out once. If he doesn’t return the favor you can move on. But you have to be nice to him and give him a reason to want to ask you out again.”

“This is the dumbest idea you’ve ever had.”

“Listen Liz, I’m doing this for you. Give a guy a chance before you give him the old heave-ho.”

I leaned my head on the door. “Just give me the keys. Please.” Now I was whining.

“You’re the one keeping yourself from your keys. And probably true love.”

I looked at my watch. Now I’d have to risk a speeding ticket or get to work five minutes late. I wasn’t sure which was worse—a ticket from a police officer or a tongue-lashing from Delia.

“Fine. I’ll go out with him again if he asks me.”

“And?”

“If he doesn’t ask me, I’ll ask him?”

“Right. And how many times will you go out with him?”

“Way too many,” I said under my breath.

“I can’t hear you.”

“Ten times. If he asks me.”

The door cracked open. “And you’ll be nice to him?”

“Whatever you say. Now give me the keys.”

Janessa emerged from the bathroom and triumphantly dropped my keys into my outstretched hand.

“You’re an idiot,” I said.

“An idiot that loves you and wants you to be happy,” she said. She turned and headed down the hall. “Someday you’ll thank me,” she sang.

“If I don’t kill you first.” I slammed the door behind me.

Excerpt 2

It was a busy Monday morning. I was looking out at the line of waiting customers when he walked in. I gasped, shut my thumb in my cash drawer, and then tried not to cry while Mr. Sandoval from a hearing aid store asked me if I was okay.

When I finished Mr. Sandoval’s transaction, I looked at him again. He was taller than anyone in the room. Of course. His hair was dark and a little disheveled. It was hard to see from where I was, but his eyes looked like they were blue. And best of all, he didn’t smile. He looked gorgeously unpleasant and impatient. He looked around the room and his eyes met mine. Still he didn’t smile. My heart was racing. He looked perfect.

I did my best to time it so I’d be his teller. I went a little too fast with one customer and accidentally shorted her a twenty dollar bill. I tried to concentrate as I corrected the transaction. I slowed way down on the next customer, but just when I thought I was finished and would be able to help him next, my customer asked me to break a ten into change. He walked up to Courtney’s window while I counted out nickels and dimes. Furious, I stomped my foot. Not too loudly but enough to release a little of my frustration.

I listened closely as Courtney helped him to see if I could learn anything, but he hardly spoke. He gave a terse nod when Courtney thanked him for coming in and turned on his heel and left. He had excellent posture and a nice, confident stride.

I finished with my customer, and then before anyone else could step forward, I picked up the phone and dialed Courtney’s extension. She glanced at her phone’s display and looked over at me curiously.
            “Who was that?” I whispered when she picked up the receiver.

“Elizabeth, look how many customers there are.”

“I know. Just tell me who that was.” I watched as Courtney picked up her last transaction slip.

“His name is Matt Dawson.”

“Is he married?”

“I have no idea,” Courtney said.

“Was he wearing a ring?”

“I didn’t look. What’s going on, Lizzie?”

“I just need to know about him.”

“Well, I don’t know anything about him and Delia’s watching us. I’ve gotta go.”

Matt Dawson. Matt. Matthew. Like Matthew Macfadyen. Dawson. It was pretty close to Darcy. The only way it could be better is if his name was Fitzwilliam but I’d never met a Fitzwilliam in my life.

Matt Dawson.

This had to be a sign.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

John William and the Bandits of Basswood Book Blast

 

John William and the Bandits of Basswood

We already know Alexander Drake’s story. His father, John William started it all years before when he entered Azra’s Pith. This is his story. John William was born an explorer; just like his dad before him. His adventure really began with the worst year of his life. He lived everyday in misery until his twelfth birthday. He set out to turn things around and find his smile again. A new friend gave him an invitation he could not turn down… follow me and change your destiny. He never imagined being captured by bandits and taken to a ship riddled with river rats was part of his fate. Not just any bandits – the Bandits of Basswood; known to be a ruthless and wild crew of thieves. Trying to escape would be a ridiculous idea. No one has ever escaped and lived to tell about it. Someone should have mentioned that to John William before he snuck off the ship. The chase out of Basswood was on. He took a chance to change his destiny and ended up on a wild ride to save his life.

Amazon

   

Author Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

Being the frizzy-haired tomboy with buck teeth gave me a slight case of shyness as a kid. A colorful imagination meant escape and adventure at the drop of a hat. Over the years I learned that the insecurities I carried around were a waste of time. I still prefer a football game to a manicure any day of the week. That indispensable imagination has found its way into my writing providing a sense of joy and a true purpose.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

   

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/10/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway  Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Wandering Now Available!

When you’ve travelled between worlds, there’s nowhere left to go but home.

Rory has never been so cold in her life. But the biting wind only reminds her of another pain that grows more intense with each passing day. Each night Jaron’s beautiful voice sings in her dreams, and each day her footsteps draw her closer to his side. Danger and intrigue at every turn, no distance is too far when you’re returning for true love.

Rin has spent the last five years searching for Rory across two worlds. Now a series of visions have him convinced he’s growing closer to finding her. But when Rory slips through another portal, taking his visions with her, he finds himself back at square one. To find her now he’ll need the help of an old friend and a little otherworldly magic.  This time he intends to bring The Wanderer home for good.

Wandering

Available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iTunes

June 25^th, 2013

Links for purchase:

Amazon

Nook

iTunes

An Excerpt from Wandering:

      Sometimes I think I've seen her face more times than my own.

 Tonight she stands on top of a snow- covered mountain with the wind in her hair.  Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she squints into the distance. She shifts her stance, leaning, her body reaching forward and I can almost feel the racing of her heart as the wind billows around her, lifting her cloak and whipping her hair into her eyes. It reminds her of something she once felt, something powerful.  Blood pounds in my ears and for a moment we are connected, The Wanderer and I. Her pain, her longing, they choke me. She holds her breath as the wind grows stronger. It pushes against her so that her footing slips. I want to shout to her, warn her that she might fall, but I can almost hear her thoughts. She hopes it will carry her away. To bring her back.  

The wind whips around her, swirling ice and snow at her feet and she begins to cry. Her tears freeze as they slide down her cheeks.  She doesn’t cry from fear or pain.  Not even the bitter, endless cold could cause her tears.  No, she cries because it is only the wind.

***

 I woke up, panting, covered in sweat.  Turning over, I clenched my eyes shut in a desperate attempt to bring the images back into focus. 

“It’s no use,” I groaned.  I knew it wouldn't work.  It never did.  She was gone.  That one little glimpse was all I would get –for now.

The visions began the very day we returned home from Rutahn, the world beyond the portal. I fell asleep on my aunt’s couch and probably hadn’t even started snoring when her face filled my mind. She was lying in the corner of a little hut, bundled in blankets and furs. I remember how she shivered, like she was trying to shake off her own skin. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red and she gasped for air, tossing in her makeshift little bed. An arm with skin the color of caramel reached toward her and wiped her face with a wet cloth. That’s when I realized she was sick. I woke up in a panic, my heart racing. I had fallen asleep afraid she might be dead and now instead of feeling relieved that she was alive, I was more afraid than ever. We still didn’t know where Rory was, but now I knew she was very sick. I worried incessantly about her after that. I dreamed of her nearly every night, gathering bits and pieces of information, clues as to where she might be.  After that, the dreams gradually increased in frequency, and then grew more intense.  Now, instead of just seeing Rory, I could feel a little of her thoughts, her emotions.  Most of the time it was a relief.  I saw her safe. I watched her grow strong again. I even saw her smile once or twice. 

Then, there were nights like this one.  Nights where I could sense her terror, her despair, the aching loneliness or desperate longing for those she had lost. I would lie there helpless, watching her cry deep, heart wrenching sobs and I would wake up with my pillow wet, my face covered in sympathetic tears. Those were the nights that weighed on me.  Visions like this one often forced me out of bed and back into my research. It was impossible to sleep knowing she was out there somewhere in pain and longing to find a way home. That’s why I keep searching. For five endless years I’ve searched and I’ll keep searching until I find her and bring the Wanderer home.

Wandering is the sequel to Seen by Heather Sutherlin.

Friday Five: Man of Steel

Welcome to this week’s Friday Five. If you haven’t been here before, this is nothing more than my random rambling about something that interests me, with a list of five, in no particular order. This week’s list is five scores for Man of Steel. Hope you enjoy!

Five Scores for Man of Steel

Last weekend I went to see Man of Steel. Then, I went to see it a second time this week. I admit I was a little worried about this movie because Superman happens to be my favorite superhero, from the unforgettable Christopher Reeve to the amazing Smallville. But based on the previews, I really thought it was going to blow me away. It did, but maybe not in the way you might expect. Below is my rating of 5 aspects of the movie starring the yumm-a-licious Henry Cavill. The scores are on a scale of 1-10, 1 being poor, 10 being perfect.
If you haven’t seen the movie, you’ll probably find SPOILERS below. But if you know the story of Superman, I don’t think any of them will be a surprise. If it contains a plot point spoiler, I marked it for your convenience so you can skip that part until you’ve seen it.

Casting: 8.2 Averaged

Henry Cavill: 10. Can we just give a little swoon here for the casting of Henry Cavill? Or a really large swoon? This dude is seriously gorgeous. I don’t think he’s human, in fact. How can someone who looks like that be real? The only thing that assures me of the slight possibility that he’s real is the fact that his bottom teeth are charmingly crooked. If you go see this movie for no other reason, it’s well worth 10 bucks and 2 ½ hours of your time just to look at him and watch his amazingly nuanced, deep performance. He is, without a doubt, a 10 on both my personal deliciousness scale, as well as my perfectly casted scale. (How in the world did he hide himself in the repulsive embodiment of Humphrey in Stardust?)

Amy Adams: 6. I love Amy Adams. Her turn as Giselle in Enchanted is one of my favorite performances. But as Lois Lane, not so much. Lois is supposed to be brunette, not a redhead, and she’s supposed to be tough, brash, in-your-face, not sweet and vulnerable. Amy Adams can’t help but be sweet, with her ultra-sweet voice. It’s just who she is. Nothing wrong with that—except in this movie. So though she remains one of my fave actresses, she’s the 2nd worst incarnation of Lois Lane that I’ve seen (Kate Bosworth in Superman Returns gets honor of 1st worst). Still, while she doesn’t quite pull off Lois, her acting is good, and would have worked as anyone but Lois Lane, hence my score of 6.

Kevin Costner/Diane Lane: 8. Kevin Costner manages to pull off a Jonathan Kent that the viewer can’t help but sympathize with. He’s constantly trying to teach Clark how to be a good person, and how to hide the abilities that might label him a freak and turn him into a lab experiment, all while trying to teach him that he’s perfect the way he is, while also teaching him to control those abilities so that someday he can use them for good. Hard job, shown to near perfection by Costner in his struggle to find the right balance. Diane Lane does a respectable job as Martha though I think any other actress could have done as well.

Russell Crow/ Ayelet Zurer: 9. I’m not a huge fan of Russell Crow, mainly because he seems to be a bit of an egotistical jerk in real life, which of course could be just the way he’s portrayed by the media. He might be perfectly nice person, but I admit my view of him is dimmed by some of his past antics. However, he’s amazing as Jor El. The emotion he portrays with nothing more than his eyes is really touching. Ayelet Zurer as Laura, Kal El’s mother, is heartbreaking and moving.

Dylan Sprayberry/Cooper Timberline: 8. These boys played Clark at ages 13 and 9 respectively. They genuinely look like they could grow up to be Clark Kent. They both did a fantastic job of portraying young Clark, particularly Dylan, showing his anguish as he grows up in a foreign world where his gifts are to be hidden, and he’s considered a freak even without showing the very thing he’s worried will label him a freak.

Lawrence Fishburne: 3. As Perry White, Lawrence Fishburne was just a big fat NO. Not one thing about him recalled any version of Perry White that has ever existed. So, um, just no. End of story.

Character Development: 6.5

(SPOILERS) This was a tough one to decide. The first third of the movie had great character development from the destruction of Krypton and little Kal-El’s parents sending him away in an attempt to save some part of Krypton, to Clark’s interactions with his earthly father. Glimpses of Clark’s troubled childhood and trying to hide his true abilities were heart wrenching. The second third of the movie, from the time Lois Lane makes her first appearance the character development begins to sag. It seems the PTB (powers that be) decided that they didn’t need to give us much insight into the characters because we should already know the story. The final third character development flew out the window. If you didn’t already care about the characters by that point, you weren’t ever going to. Some of the characters I definitely cared about (Clark/Kal-El, Jor-El, Jonathan Kent, and the family dog were about it for me). The rest I could take or leave, and would have been interchangeable with any other character.

 
Storyline: 5

This was the most heartbreaking part of my scoring. Why? Because I love all things, universes, incarnations of Superman that I’ve seen or read so far. So when I heard they were making a movie with all of that big money behind it, I was stoked. And Zack Snyder at the helm? Double stoked. Then I was disappointed. The movie could have easily come in under two hours rather than the 2:23 it is. At least 30 minutes of fighting could have been trimmed. Far too much of Clark’s childhood and what formed him into the man he is man was left out. Far too much of his big fight with Zod was left in. (SPOILERS FROM HERE ON) I hate it when movies play the whole: big climax, movie’s over. No wait, it’s not, there’s another climax coming, now it’s over. Wait, nope, there’s still more to go, with another several seeming climaxes before it actually ends. And there was so much destruction of tall office buildings that I cringed, reminded too strongly of a couple other buildings that came down in NY in 2001 that took a lot of lives. Are we supposed to believe that all of those buildings were empty, and no one was on the streets to be killed or injured by the massive amounts of falling debris? So that really bothered me, especially since it was unnecessary. I can take some destruction, in fact would have been disappointed without it, but it was way too much. The storyline overall is rather thin, seemingly wishing to wow you with so many special effects that you don’t notice the plot holes and lack of meaty storyline. With all of the Superman history, the best they could come up with is Zod coming to take back the codex, which can’t be retrieved since it’s part of Clark, and revenge because Jor-El sent the codex to earth with his son? Plus the huge plot hole of Zod being built for nothing more than to protect Krypton, and yet he wants to kill the one person who has the ability to restore the Kryptonian race? Um, yeah, okay.

Love Story: 4

There wasn’t much interaction between Clark and Lois, and certainly not enough interaction that would make their love understandable or even desired by the audience. It’s as if the writers decided the fact that they are Clark and Lois were enough to make us root for them and it wasn’t necessary to show us why they should be together. I admit, I thought my huge disappointment in this area was due to the fact that I’m a writer and understand how important it is to show why your MC’s belong together—until I heard several other people complain of the same thing who aren’t authors. I can understand why Lois fell for Kal-El based on the fact that she knew the accomplishments and selfless acts he’d performed. Plus there’s, you know, the whole hotness factor. (SPOILERS FROM HERE ON) But why did he fall for her? Because she kept his secret? Then he should have also been in love with the many other people who knew who and what he was (and in this movie, there were plenty). Because he rescued her multiple times? Same as before: he should have fallen for any number of people. There just wasn’t any substance to their relationship, certainly nothing to make me fall in love with them as a couple. And that was crushing to me, as the Lois & Clark partnership has always been one of my favorites.

Villains: 6

Michael Shannon did a fair-to-middling job snarling and chewing his way through the movie as baddie Zod. But here’s my deal: Where in the heck was Lex Luthor? When you think of Superman’s archnemesis, who do you think of? Not the one they chose to put in this movie. Zod should have been held off for another sequel or two, because it would make his anger more believable. Plus, how awesome would it be watching Lex Luthor try to control Zod to help him in his quest to bring down Superman, ala the original Superman movies? (SPOILERS FROM HERE ON) As is, Zod was hardly in the Phantom Zone long enough to work up more than a little irritation, let alone a full-blown, wanna kill all of earth’s people beginning with Clark Kent kind of fury. Plus, Zod is a criminal, not some sympathetic, misunderstood soldier as portrayed here. Seriously. That really chapped my hide (channeling my cowgirl-ness there). Zod should be a cruel, sadistic, uncaring villain who is nothing more than a criminal who can’t be reasoned with, for whom sympathy wouldn’t even be a side note. Not some dude who claims he’s just trying to do his job, for gosh sakes! There were more plot holes in Zod’s villainy than even in Lois & Clark’s love story. So why the higher score? Because not only did Zod put up a good fight, managing to kick Superman’s butt around a little—which reminds me, Superman was more Man of Aluminum than Man of Steel considering how many times he’s hurt in this move. But I digress. Not only the Zod thing I just mentioned, but also the cold hearted, kick-buttedness of his sidekick Faora-Ul, who was so beautifully played by Antje Traue. And they had some awesome weapons and ships.

Overall Score: 6.

You have no idea how much it kills me to give this movie a 6. I so wanted it to be a 10, or at least a 9 based on all of the recent superhero movies that have been taking money from my wallet. Christopher Reeves would be horrified at what they’ve done to his Superman. I do recommend you see it, because it’s worth a viewing. I saw it both in Imax 3-D and in Digital 2-D, and I honestly liked the 2-D better. I don’t think the 3-D added anything to the movie to make it worth the extra $.

I hope they make a sequel, and I hope they write a better story for the sequel and focus a little less on special effects and destruction than they do on the characters. Give us something to root for in the movie other than Cavill’s surreal good looks and expressive torment. And those eyes! And smile. And, well, just everything about him both looks-wise and character-wise. A romance with a certain reporter comes to mind as something that could be fleshed out into something vaguely realistic. A girl can dream, anyway.

Now, if only they’d make a movie based on Smallville, staring the utterly beautiful, beautiful Tom Welling (yep, he deserves two beautifuls), as an apology to fans for the lackluster 10th season, I might forgive Zack Snyder for taking such a large budget and making a sub-par movie. A girl can dream two dreams, anyway, right?

I created the Friday Five graphic from an original image copyrighted by: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_10806220_number-five.html'>marincas_andrei / 123RF Stock Photo</a