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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year Giveaway!

It's time to welcome in the new year... with a giveaway! It's been a great year book wise: we've had the first in the new Bloodline series, Alyxandra Harvey's new Haunting Violet. We've had a second book from one of my favourite authors: Jenny Downham. We've seen the last installment of Harry Potter, and welcomed the new Pottermore website. Yes, it's been a great year for books... But I think 2012 will be even better! To celebrate these old and the new books, I'm having a giveaway that has something from both. Therefore I'm giving away:

1x Haunting Violet cloth bag

1x Haunting Violet lipbalm

1x 2012 Bloomsbury Book (Fracture)

This is an international giveaway, so no one will be left out! It ends January 14th.

Oh, and before you all enter, two more things.
One: What has your Top 2011 Book been? And which book are you most looking forward to in 2012? (This doesn't affect who wins: I really want to know 'cause I'm always on the lookout for more books to read!)
Two: I'd like to thank everyone who has followed, visited, commented or guest-posted on The Book Addicted Girl in 2011! All of you have really made this year special for me! And I'm hoping that in 2012, we will have more guest-posts, more giveaways and more books!
Here's to a Happy New Year!

Now, back to buisness: here's the entry form. I'm using this new Rafflecopter... thingy-ma-bob. It's fun! It means you can get loads of extra entries, and it looks cool! ;)

Upcoming India Dark Blog Tour

I was sent a copy of India Dark, which will be published by Templar January 2012, and I'm lovin' what I'm reading! So much that I'm taking part in the blog tour! Anyway, India Dark is a historical novel, about one of Australia's most famous theatre companys. It's an amazing story so far, and I can't wait to see all of the guest posts and interviews: I'm intrigued by the history! :D

India Dark by Kirsty Murray

Synopsis From Templar:

MADRAS, 1910: two girls are caught up in a scandal that will change their lives forever. Singing and dancing across a hundred stages in a troupe of child performers, they travel by steam train into the heart of India. But as one disaster follows another, money runs short and tempers fray, what must the girls do to protect themselves, and how many lives will be ruined if they try to break free?

And here is the lineup for the Blog Tour! For more information, check out the tour's offical page.

9th January: District YA
Find out where the story for India Dark comes from, and enter the first giveaway to win a copy of India Dark
10th January: All About Me
An interview with Kirsty Murray and another giveaway!

11th January: Ink Scratchers
Hear all about Kirsty's writing process and yet another giveaway!
12th January: Turn The Page
A second interview with Kirsty: lots of insights here!
13th January: Readaraptor
Another guest post from Kirsty: all about the amazing locations in India Dark.

14th January: Bookhi
Another Q&A with Kirsty here.

15th January: The Book Adicted Girl
It's me! We're going to be talking characters: Kirsty will tell us how she cames up with her characters and the challenges of writing an emotionally charged tale.
16th January: Bookbabblers
The final Q&A and your last chance to win a copy of India Dark.

17th January:Read In Between The Lines
Finally, a guest post from Kirsty, all about her life and how she fits writing into it.

Winner of The Book Addicted Girl's First Blogoversary Giveaway!

Earlier this month, I had a giveaway of some various Bloomsbury goodies to celebrate my blog's first blogoversary! The winner was picked at random, and she is...

Zoe @ Bookhi

Congratulations Zoe! Your goodies are on their way!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

DON 2 MOVIE REVIEW

Don 2 Movie Review

Both Salman and Shah Rukh Khan are, perhaps, the biggest prisoners of their own success stories in Bollywood. While the former is deeply mired in his ever brooding Bhai image it is SRK, who at times, redeems himself with his suave performances.

No, I certainly have no doubts about their acting prowess. They both are extremely talented gentlemen and a treat to watch on screen. But for that you need to have capable directors like Farhan Akthar or Abhinav Kashyap who don’t get too deferential to the biggest stars of our times. Perhaps that’s why a Chulbul Pandey or Kabir Khan charms the pants off you while Lovely Singh and Shekhar Subramanium look like a poor joke.

So yes, Don 2 is FARHAN AKHTAR’s film who gives us SRK we all love to see – funny, witty and never too loud.

Barely ten minutes into the film and you are sold to his Don who is back with his eviler designs and delectable wisecracks. He is a suitable cousin to Ethan Hunt and Danny Ocean, an anti-hero planning to rob a Berlin bank of its euro printing plates in a daring heist.

To do so he escapes with his old foe, Vardhan (Boman Irani) from a Malaysian prison giving yet another heartburn to ex-flame Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and veteran cop Malik (Om Puri).

What ensues is high octane action, deadly car chases, treachery and of course unpretentious dark humour.

I’m sure the human moments will be missed by some in this slick thriller but then they may have very well worked against the film which has some ruthless men saying very mean things to each other. Well, how can you expect a man like Don to go all mushy over a girl, who puts his enemies under a bone crushing machine and exhorts them to make a right choice by saying “Main Nahi Chahta Tum Kisi Dabav Mein Koi Faisla Lo.”

Shah Rukh Khan is spot on as Don. Perhaps with this film, he is out of the shadow of the original Don. Now, he can certainly look forward to the subsequent sequels of this franchise without getting compared to Mr. Bachchan.

Priyanka Chopra looks convincing as Roma. She is still not over her failed affair with Vijay/Don, looks impervious to his charm before finally giving in. But remember... it’s still complicated.

Lara Dutta glitters in her small cameo as Don’s liaison. Kunal Kapoor as Sameer Ali, Don’s technology consultant, is just okay for his screen space. Hrithik Roshan who makes fleeting appearance as a masquerading Don looks pleasant but sticks out like a sore thumb in otherwise believable Don adventures.

The script is taut. Music and background score are cracking. Songs don’t impede the story telling. The cinematography captures the virgin locales of Berlin in full glory as King Khan goes all wild on German streets.

Farhan Akhtar makes a welcome comeback behind the camera. Undoubtedly an accomplished actor, he should certainly direct more often. A special mention is in order for his writing team Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah who make Don 2 not only a slick but a smart thriller as well.

So, while catching Don may be an impossible task for the Police force around the world you can and certainly should catch him at a theatre near you.