Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay

Title: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay

Author: J. K. Rowling [Website] aka Joanne Rowling aka Robert Galbraith [Website] ; Illustrated by MinaLima [Website] aka Miraphora Mina [IMDb] and Eduardo Lima [IMDb]

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Series: Fantastic Beasts, Bk 1 (spinoff of the Harry Potter series)

ISBN: 9781338109061

Length: 284 pages + "Glossary of Film Terms" + Cast & Crew"

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

Of course I had to read this.

Comments:

I really enjoyed the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie.  At the time of watching it, I had a hold on the screen play but was still waiting for my place in the queue.

When I finally started reading, I was astounded.  I've always read books then watched movies, and there were always differences.  But as the screenplay this is the exact dialogue in the exact order and with all the descriptions.  I had vivid images of what had been portrayed on screen popping up as I read.  My imagination just isn't that good.  And I was able to see names I had missed while watching or understand a couple parts that I may have missed the significance of while watching.  I was also able to catch the parts I had missed with restroom breaks for myself and the kiddos.

The only drawback is, I REALLY wish I could see it again now.  I don't know.  Maybe I will.

Anyway, I gather the movie is part of a series, so I'm hoping for the same in regards to published screenplays.

Career of Evil

Title: Career of Evil

Author: Robert Galbraith [Website] aka J. K. Rowling [Website] aka Joanne Rowling ; Read by Robert Glenister [IMDb]

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Series: Cormoran Strike, Bk 3

ISBN: 9781478962663

Length: 15 discs ; 17 hours

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:
I've been enjoying the series.

Comments:

Robin's getting married.  Or is she?  I can't say this was my favorite thread of the storyline, but it was certainly part of it.  We also learn more about her past, which adds to her character, but makes quite the contrast from when she is being strong and overcoming vs. when she feels weak and is losing herself to the horror in her life.

And then there were the men who could potentially be out for Strike.  They had all done horrible things, particularly to women.  I'm sure the title can be taken multiple ways, but whenever I reflected on it I thought of how Cormoran Strike's career had brought him into contact with such evil.

Anyway, this one book me a while to get through, but certainly picked up quite a bit toward the end.  There was one scene in particular that had me in knots.  The adrenaline and nerves were so strong I found myself thinking I probably shouldn't have been driving.

The Silkworm

Title: The Silkworm

Author: Robert Galbraith [Website] aka J. K. Rowling [Website] aka Joanne Rowling ; Read by Robert Glenister [IMDb]

Publisher: Hachette Audio / Mulholland Books

Series: Cormoran Strike, Bk 2

ISBN: 9781478980902

Length: 14 discs ; 17.5 hours

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

I read and enjoyed the first.  I wanted more of Cormoran and Robin.

Comments:

So I switched to audio format for this one.  It's not something I usually do, but the downloadable audio was the first available. Then it expired before I finished.  I tried to read the print book (which came next), but now that I had started it in audio, I needed to finish it that way.  By the time the Audio CD version came to me I didn't remember where I had left off.  I skimmed (listened here and there) my way through discs 4 - 11 before I found where I had actually left off.  In other words, my reading experience was a bit different.

Anyway, in this book Strike is still getting semi-regular business from the commotion the Lula Landry case created (see The Cuckoo's Calling).  But he's not really interested in it until Leonora Quine comes in wanting him to find her husband.  This brings him into the publishing world.  And what a crazy view of the publishing world it is... I hope it's as fictional as the murder mystery.

Robin is still tweaking her role in Strike's firm.  Which is fine as long as it goes the way I want it to.  Which is her being an irreplaceable part of his business.  Though I have to say, both Strike and Robin need to work on their communication skills.  I feel a little silly for speaking of them as if they are real, but that's the sign of good characters, right?

Great characters, fine mystery... I look forward to book 3, and am so excited to know more are expected.  Now I just have to figure out if I'm going back to print or sticking with audio.  Speaking of which, the narrator did a great job with the many characters.

The Cuckoo's Calling

Title: The Cuckoo's Calling

Author: Robert Galbraith [Website] aka J. K. Rowling [Website] aka Joanne Rowling

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Series: Cormoran Strike, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780316206846

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

Um.. I heard the fuss about the exposed author.  I was eager to read a mystery by said author.  Plus the reviews (in print) were positive and it sounded like a story I'd enjoy.  As for why now, I had finally checked it out, and finally grabbed it off the bookshelf.

Comments:

Cormoran Strike is a private investigator - not a very successful one (people just don't want to pay their bills - especially for answers they don't like!).  Robin is his new temporary assistant.  Both of them are great characters.  I wish I was as organized as Robin and as thorough as Cormoran (I try to be, but wow).

Anyway, I've been reading quite a few cozy mysteries lately.  As much as I love them, the amateur sleuths do tend to jump to conclusions quite a bit.  Cormoran, on the other hand, worked on collecting all the details and perspectives in a very methodical way.  He made his deductions based on the full information ha had available and not until he had all the pieces.  I greatly appreciated the change in pace (perhaps I should read more PI mystery books).

Cormoran has a mess of his personal life, and while that was somewhat of a distraction, it didn't overwhelm the story.  I so appreciated that. 

I was also pleased (though not surprised) with how the story ended, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Silkworm (due out this June 2014).