Movie Review: Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)

🎬 Movie Review: The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)

Rating: 🥃
Flames: 🔥

Cold as prehistoric soup

I went into this movie hoping for a nostalgic, if slightly cheesy, adaptation of Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear. What I got instead was… a mostly silent, confusing, and emotionally flat experience that would’ve completely lost me if I hadn’t read the books.

The biggest issue? No subtitles for the sign language. The Clan communicates almost entirely through hand signals, and while that’s true to the source material, it completely alienates the viewer here. There’s no narration, no explanation, and no way to form a connection with the characters. It’s all grunts, glares, and gestures—with zero emotional weight behind it. I found myself constantly guessing what was happening, and not in a good way.

Audiobook Review: Plains of Passage by Jean Auel

 

📚 Plains of Passage – Jean M. Auel

Earth’s Children, Book Four

🥃🥃🥃 Bourbons |

 🔥🔥 Flames

Ayla and Jondalar are back on the move, trekking across Ice Age Europe with horses, a wolf, and enough gear to start a small civilization. If that sounds like a lot—it is. Plains of Passage is the definition of old-school epic: sweeping landscapes, deeply researched prehistoric culture, and a writing style that insists on telling you every single thing that’s happening, whether it moves the plot forward or not.

This book is detailed to a fault. We don’t just know what Ayla does—we know how, why, what time of day, what herbs she uses, and probably how her grandmother’s cousin once did it, too. It's impressive in its own way, but also exhausting. At times it reads less like a novel and more like a prehistoric field guide with relationship angst.

Audiobook Review: The Mammoth Hunters by Jean Auel

Series: Earth’s Children #3

Rating: 🥃🥃🥃

Flame Level: 🔥🔥

Format: Audiobook

Story Snapshot:

Ice-Age survival—with mammoth hunts, wolf-taming, and slow-burn romance. A deep dive into prehistoric life that’s more animal bond than modern hookup.

My Thoughts:

I didn’t expect to spend 25 hours of my life wrapped up in mammoth fur, dodging jealous lovers, and emotionally adopting a prehistoric wolf pup… but here we are.

This was a whole Ice Age vibe. Ayla is that girl — competent, strong, bonding with wild animals like she’s auditioning for Animal Planet. But when it comes to men? Whew. Let’s just say she handles a spear better than she handles her feelings for Jondalar. I wanted to shake her a little… then him a lot.

Audiobook Review: The Valley of Horses by Jean Auel

 

Series: Earth’s Children #2

Rating: 🥃🥃🥃

Flame Level: 🔥🔥

Format: Audiobook

Story Snapshot:

Self-sufficient cave girl meets wandering Ice Age himbo. Horses are tamed. Sparks fly. Everything is described in detail — including the body parts.

My Thoughts:

Look, I didn’t come here to fall for a blond prehistoric himbo with trust issues… but here we are.

This one split its time between two lonely hearts and a lot of long, frozen travel sequences. On one hand: Ayla, abandoned, self-sufficient, learning how to hunt like a beast and raise her own dang horses and cave lion. On the other: Jondalar, pouty and pretty, taking the longest route to personal growth I’ve ever read.

Audiobook Review: The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

Series: Earth’s Children #1

Rating: 🥃🥃🥃

Format: Audiobook

Story Snapshot:

Self-sufficient cave girl defies clan norms in this immersive prehistoric saga — with 1980s vibes.

My Thoughts:

This is where it all begins — reindeer hides, clan drama, and a girl who’s clearly not built for quiet obedience.

Ayla was hard for me to connect to at first. She’s smart, she’s strong, but she feels a little distant — like we’re watching her through a sheet of Ice Age glass. That said, I admired the hell out of her perseverance. She never stopped trying, even when the odds (and the Clan’s traditions) were stacked against her.

ARC Review: The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul

Pub. Date:	Aug. 27, 2019
Publisher:	William Morrow
Length:	496 pgs
Source:	Publisher

This was my first read from Gill Paul, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. However, I was intrigued by the concept of a historical fiction concerning the Romanov family, whom I was only vaguely familiar with before embarking on this reading venture. I have always thought the Romanovs were fascinating, but it just wasn't something we studied much in school. I have not read The Secret Wife, but I definitely have added that earlier story to my TBR after finishing The Lost Daughter. 

ARC Review: Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley

Pub. Date:	Aug 7, 2018
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Length:	512 pgs
Source:	Publisher

Bellewether is typical of what I have come to think of as Susanna Kearsley's forte - delivering a story within a story. Bellewether is a divided story told partially in the present and partially in the past, and involves a historical memory about super interesting characters with a potentially tragic story. This book blended the past and present nicely, and totally immersed me in the colonial era with the Wilde family during the French and Indian War.

ARC Review: If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim

Pub. Date:	Aug 7, 2018
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Length:	432 pgs
Source:	Publisher

If You Leave Me is the debut novel by Crystal Hana Kim, a poignant tale of life and survival during and following war-time. I stepped out of my comfort zone with this one, and am glad for the experience. The author's writing drew me into the story and kept me interested, and I liked her overall writing style.

The story begins about a year after the start of the 6-2-5 war between North and South Korea. Admittedly, I didn't know much about this war and found myself googling as I went along, and hitting up Wikipedia for a basic overview at the outset. Not knowing much about the countries, the motivations, or the war, I liked this aspect of the book. Not because I liked that people were suffering in a war-torn country, but because it was something different and educational for me, and opened my eyes to a little more diversity and culture.

ARC Review: My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Pub. Date:	April 3, 2018
Publisher:	William Morrow
Length:	652 pgs
Source:	Edelweiss

I love the Dray-Kamoie writing duo. I think I've learned more from these two ladies than I did in my entire high school American History class. That is just sad. But their captivating writing draws me in and keeps me turning the page (until 3:30am consequentially). I only wish more authors of history books wrote in this storytelling style as we would surely retain more than I did from the bare recitation of facts in a history book.

My Dear Hamilton is the story about Elizabeth Schulyer Hamilton, the wife and champion of founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Told from Eliza's point of view, we get an intimate and eye-opening glimpse into the life of a great, but flawed, man. We also see the strength and courage of a female patriot of the time, working to support her husband through thick and thin, despite danger, strife and betrayal. I have the utmost respect for Eliza, truly one of the mother's of our great country.

Audiobook and Movie Review: The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro and Daniel Kraus

Series:	The Protector #1
Pub. Date:	March 6, 2018
Publisher:	MacMillan Audio
Narrators:	Jenna Lamia
Length:	13 hrs 27 min
Source:	Publisher

So this book is totally out of my wheelhouse for romances that I normally read, but I had heard of the movie and the sci-fi/fantasy aspect of the story intrigued me. Now that I have read the book, I decided to rent the movie to see how it compared. Stay tuned below for the movie review!

This story is told from multiple points of view, most of which I will touch on briefly below.

Audiobook Review: The English Wife by Lauren Willig

Pub. Date:	Jan. 9, 2018
Publisher:	MacMillan Audio
Narrator:	Barrie Kreinik
Length:	14 hrs 52 min
Source:	Publisher

The English Wife is a historical drama set during the Gilded Age in London and upstate New York. While it is not a romance, there are some romantic elements. However, your main focus is going to be on the drama and mystery that unfolds as you read or listen.

There is a split narration/POV of this story for the past and present. Half of the story is following Bayard and Annabelle Van Duyvil from their meeting to murder, and the other half follows Janie Van Duyvil as she attempts to find out the truth about the mysterious deaths. There are quite a number of distasteful secondary characters that meet and mingle through the Van Duyvil lives, and they gave the story a darker theme that really made this into a drama instead of a run-of-the-mill historical fiction.

ARC Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Pub. Date:	Feb. 6, 2018
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Length:	435 pgs
Source:	NetGalley

This book is outside of my normal genre, but I have been wanting to try this author for quite a while. When I saw the blurb was about Alaskan homesteaders, I knew that I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and start with this one. I get sucked into those Alaskan Bush People type shows from time to time, and I have always wanted to go to Alaska, so I knew that the subject matter would be interesting. I have to say that Kristin Hannah is a master storycrafter and I will definitely be adding more of her books to my TBR.

The Great Alone is not a happy story by any means, but it is poignant and captivating. The narrator of the story is Lenora "Leni" Albright, whom we followed as she came of age in the 1970s following the Vietnam War. Leni's father, Ernt Albright, has returned home a changed man after years as a POW in Vietnam. As he suffers from (likely undiagnosed) PTSD, Leni and her mother, Cora, do everything they can to appease Ernt, including following him to the Alaskan wilderness to get away from what he sees as the deterioration of society.

Audiobook Review: Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

Pub. Date:	Oct. 31, 2017
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Narrator:	Evan Morton
Length:	8 hrs 8 min
Source:	Publisher

Mr. Dickens and His Carol is the debut novel by author Samantha Silva, and offers a biographical fiction of Charles Dickens and how he developed one of his most popular works, A Christmas Carol. I thought this would be the perfect audiobook to listen to on my road trip home for the holidays, and I was right. 

Charles Dickens is surprised by the news that his novels are not selling and his publishers have demanded that he write a Christmas story, to be read in a few weeks time. Despite a long tradition of grand Christmas celebrations, Charles is not feeling in the the holiday spirit this year. His wife has birthed his six child and is determined to spend lavishly for the holiday and their annual holiday party, and people seem to be coming out of the wood work to prey on Charles' good fortune. Between the financial strain and a bad bout of writer's block, Charles is becoming more and more Scrooge-like.

Audiobook Review: Wondering Sight by Melissa McShane

Series:	Extraordinaires #2
Pub. Date:	June 30, 2017
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Narrator:	Cat Gould
Length:	11 hrs 16 min
Source:	Publisher

Wondering Sight is the second book in The Extraordinaires historical fantasy series, following Burning Bright. These books can be read as standalones if you are so inclined, there was no noticeable character crossover in this installment. The Extraordinaries have special talents above and beyond the rest of society. They can control fire (scorchers), or move large objects  via telekinesis (movers), teleport (bounders), heal and shape the human body (shapers), or prognosticate (seers). Not everyone has a talent, and not every talent is extraordinary... but this series seeks to showcase the most extraordinary people of the time.

Audiobook Review: Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter

So this series was an unexpected surprise. The Bohemian Gospel is mainly historical fiction with a little fantasy thrown in, but the subject matter was wholly unique. Dana Chamblee Carpenter sets the story of our heroine, Mouse, to begin in medieval Bohemia and Prague. Mouse is a convent-raised orphan with special abilities and mysterious origins, particularly when it comes to the dubious identity of her parentage. 

Originally I thought The Bohemian Gospel was a historical romance, but it is not a romance at all. Instead, you will follow Mouse as she comes of age and attempts to accept her special abilities and difficult life. Mouse's tale is not a happy one. She is constantly battling her faith, and faces untenable and heartbreaking situations. I was drawn into her story and captivated by the setting and strife as the story progressed. The ups and downs of Mouse's relationship with Ottokar really put me through the wringer, and I had to stop listening for a while when everything played out with Nicholas. Carpenter has a talent at drawing the reader in and I needed a break from all the feels.

Audiobook Review: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Series:	Outlander #3
Pub. Date:	Jan. 24, 2007
Publisher:	Recorded Books
Narrator:	Davina Porter
Length:	43 hrs 51 min

As a blogger, when you have to read on a schedule... you never really have a spare 40+ hours to re-read an audiobook at your whim. But I felt compelled to do just that this month. Last week, I tackled Dragonfly in Amber so I could finally watch Season 2 of Outlander on Starz. I had planned to save Voyager to re-read when Season 3 comes out this Fall... but I just couldn't. Some of my favorite events of the series happen in this book, so I was impelled to continue on ahead of schedule.

This book again starts out on Culloden field on April 16, 1746. We spend some time with Jamie, learning what his life has been like during the twenty years since he was with Claire. There are a few time jumps to 1968 in both Inverness, where the hunt for Jamie has begun in earnest, and then to Boston with Claire wrapping up her life there in preparation for the day that Roger Wakefield finds Jamie in historical records. This will cover the time when Claire lost Frank, and also some tidbits of her professional life with dear friend Joe Abernathy. Keep an eye out for Claire's examination of skeletal remains (to which you, the reader, should also pay close attention). But then word comes from Roger and, finally, its time.

Audiobook Review: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Series:	Outlander #2
Pub. Date:	Oct. 26, 2006 (Audio)
Publisher:	Recorded Books
Narrator:	Davina Porter
Length:	38 hrs 58 min

I'm finding it hard to review a book that I have read five times... I'm worried that what I want to say would be too spoilery! So this will probably be a very short review of a very long book. If I ever got stranded on a desert island, I would hope to have the Outlander series with me - and not just for entertainment, but also in case I needed a step stool! At 700-1000 pages a pop, these books will aggravate your carpal tunnel both because of the weight, and because you won't want to put them down! I tend to do my re-reads of the series in audio these days because I just love the narrator, Davina Porter. 

ARC Review: The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Pub. Date:	Oct. 18, 2016
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Length:	304 pages
Source:	NetGalley

Sadly, this is one of my blogger shame books - a review copy that I received last year, but that fell through the cracks and didn't make it onto the blog. I'm glad that I have finally worked it into the schedule, because I enjoyed it a great deal. Marie Benedict brought the history of the Einsteins to life in a meld of fact and fiction that captivated me from beginning to end.

Admittedly, I feel like I know very little about Albert Einstein. Other than crazy hair and the theory of relativity, very little about him stuck with me from what little we were taught in school. That could be due to the fact that I was not particularly interested in math or science (that's why I became a lawyer), so my curriculum in school just didn't touch on his life and accomplishments. That being said, from what little I was taught, I know that neither of his wives were mentioned. 

ARC Review: The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

Pub. Date:	April 25, 2017
Publisher:	Ballantine Books
Length:	336 pages
Source:	NetGalley

This is the second debut author I have read this week, and I very impressed by the new talent on the scene. Beth Underdown delivers a morbidly fascinating look at the witch hunt that occurred during England's Civil War told from the perspective of the fictional sister to the Witchhunter General, Matthew Hopkins. This idea of telling the story of a historical figure from the perspective of that person's sister/daughter/wife has been trending for the last year or more, and I have to say that I do enjoy this method of storytelling. It provides a fresh look at history interweaving fact and fiction in a way that keeps the reader engaged and interested.

Matthew Hopkins was a cold man, sullen and spoiled with a quiet and calculating manner. I think he would have utterly terrified me if I had lived during this time period, as he seemed to have an aura of questionable evil about him. I couldn't tell if he really believed in witches, or if his motives were purely for revenge and a dislike of women in general. Neverthless, it is believed that Hopkins was responsible for the death of over 300 "witches" from 1644-1646. The women he targeted were often old, widowed, physically disabled or mentally infirm - and he would torture them until they confessed to devilish deeds of their own, and also reported on other women in the area. Hopkins authored the book, The Discovery of Witches (1647) detailing his methods and manner of investigation.

Guest Review by Julie: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

Series:	Veronica Speedwell #1
Pub. Date:	July 12, 2016
Publisher:	Berkley
Length:	368 pages

Veronica is quite the unusual young lady. She's feisty, extremely opinionated, sarcastic, and lacking in feminine pursuits-like needlepoint and husband catching-and she happens to be a lepidopterist (person who studies butterflies).