The Last Templar - Book Review

This weekend I read another book bringing my total up to 34 for 2012. I'm amazed at how voracious my reading appetite is lately. It's not so much that I have a bunch of books to get through it's that nearly all my waking hours are consumed by getting back to the book and finishing it.

The book I most recently read is The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury and reading it I can completely understand how it made the New York Times Bestseller List.

Set in modern times with a glimpse back into the final days of the Knights Templar the book takes a strong look at the Templar Knights, Christianity as we know it and archaeology around the world. It's no secret that I love a book that has strong religious undercurrents, especially if the book involves relics of a long ago time and action packed scenes where everyone seems to be fighting to get the relic. In this case, the book talks about a lost Templar treasure, perhaps the most damning treasure the world has ever seen.

I read the book in rapt fascination. I was raised in a Christian household but by no means was my family religious. The bible and all the bible stories that were taught had always seemed to me as nice stories. They were trying to point us on a good moral path. I was never really comfortable with the opulence of the church and the more I learned and read, the more I never quite understood how the greed of so many in the church gave it so much more power over people.

My religious beliefs were always "We are all people under god." It has nothing do with our religion, our sexual orientation, the colour of our skin. We are all people. We all seem to worship one god, and I'm a strong believer that faith can heal wounds and bring us through times of sorrow. It's all about choices. It's all within us. This book brought that all back for me.

I was not shocked when reading the "About The Author" on the back of the book flap that Raymond Khoury was a screenwriter. The book was action packed, and I felt that I was right there with the characters, heart pumping, mind racing over all the possibilities and wondering how things were going to come around. I'm happy having done a little research to discover that they turned the book into a mini-series, something which I'd love to watch. I haven't felt this way about any of the books I've read recently, including 50 Shades which has rumors of a movie in the works. There is something about this book that I think will play very well on screen and I look forward to seeing if they can capture the intrigue and wonder that was brought to light on the pages of Mr. Khoury's novel.

Only one minor thing I noticed in the novel that I would've liked more of, but know that most male writers aren't so good at - description. The story was fast paced and quick moving, but there wasn't a lot of detailed description and knowing that Mr. Khoury is a screenwriter probably lends everything to that. In writing scripts you leave a lot of the description to your set design team.

It's a good book and I really do recommend it.

It's getting Sexy up in Here

It's no secret that things have been getting all sexy in my world this summer. It all started with a teeny weeny crush on Thor after watching the movie with my husband. Then I go to a barbecue and discuss hot men with some fabulous ladies who inform me that "everyone needs a list." I have delicious thoughts about that list, and finally put it together in a blog. This much you know.

What you don't know, is that I have finally watched Magic Mike and I've also read all three books in the 50 Shades series. 

That's a whole lot of sexy. 

I was so stoked to go see Magic Mike. It had two of my favourite men to look at - Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. Watching them didn't disappoint. The story line though... wasn't so good. It was really predictable and frankly, not sexy enough. I know they were trying and really, the dancing guys were hot, but the story really wasn't. It need more... oomph. And yes-it needed more sex appeal. I honestly can't believe they are making a sequel. How can they ever turn it into a second movie? 

My Channing was great - he was the best part of the entire movie. Ladies - if you are like me, you'll like what you see and will be very happy with his performance. Matthew, just looked like he was supposed to - as a slightly washed up male stripper who has been usurped as the big dog in town. Now the Kid - this hot new guy that people were drooling over - he was bad. I didn't enjoy watching him and all I wanted was for him to shave and do something about his bad hair. I couldn't get past how bad it looked and frankly, it distracted from the story line. 

I do recommend watching the movie though - but I think it's a rental. I know - hard to believe since I was so pumped about it, but I think I would've liked watching it at home with some of my girlfriends over going to the theatre and having someone kick my chair periodically throughout the movie. I think it would've been better if we could've cracked some jokes, ate some popcorn together and shared a few laughs at the right times. Even still - I loved that my friends Devon and Steph could come with me. (Thanks ladies!)

Now onto 50 Shades. Everyone is talking about this book. You know it, I know it. And it seems that everyone is either reading it, or wanting to read it so that they know what everyone is talking about. Even guys I know are talking about it, although I don't think many of them are reading it. The book is erotica, and it's now main stream and it's drawn attention to some so-called alternatives to Vanilla Sex. 

Before reading the book, I was told some really awful things about it. I had heard that the writing wasn't very good and that there are certain aspects of the way things are described that are too repetitive. I had in my head that the book would be terrible and that I'd read the first and that would be that. The number of times I saw the words "My breath hitched" made me laugh and the sex which was so incredibly often that it was unbelievable. What I didn't expect was to actually want to know what happens to the characters. 

Book one was an introduction. It introduces the characters and shows how they behave before they meet and begin to get to know each other. It ends abruptly and predictably, but I found that I wanted to read the second book. 

I had heard that the second book was much better than the first. I think that was because the nature of the second book - where it's not all one-sided and where the main characters have some give and take and you see a more vulnerable side to Christian Grey. It was better and it was worth getting through. 

The third book I found could've stopped on a few occasions as there seemed to be some natural breaks in the story. But I get it. I think I get it more than I expected. The books introduce a lifestyle that shows that no matter what your sexual preferences are, your "kinky-fuckery" if you will, as long as your partner is okay with it, it's okay. It also showed that once a couple is married, they may be more willing to be honest about their feelings and what they are looking for from each other. 

 

I've always been pretty open about reading sexual things. I think this gives me a more broad view of what's out there and what I do like and what I don't. I don't need a contract, as they lay out in this book, but at the same time I think this is good to show the prudish people of the world what's out there. So yeah. Read the book. Open your eyes and try and get beyond the slightly juvenile writing and far fetched story line. You can do it. Go on now... I won't tell anyone :)