twilight saga: eclipse–the movie
i only saw it today so that should say how excited i was. but i would describe my drive to see it as more of a curiosity. in general, i thought it was better than the second one. but “new moon” was the worst book (or most boring, whatever) so i think all the movies in the saga will be better that it was. “eclipse” had a better storyline, better soundtrack, better acting, better special effects. i did enjoy reading that the wolves couldn’t have genitals in order to keep it a PG-13 rating. they just stuck extra hair “down there”. bella’s character/kristen’s acting annoy me and i snub my nose at pattinson’s portrayal of edward. he just doesn’t hit the mark for me. i’d sum it up by saying he’s just pansy-ish on screen and doesn’t capture the complexity and quiet strength of the book character.
i will say that i was extremely pleased with rosalie’s and jasper’s backstory. i’ve never seen nikki reed look more beautiful as rosalie and i thought the delivery of her lines was impeccable. she really is an amazing actress, just watch “thirteen”. i’m looking forward to her bigger role in “breaking dawn”. and jasper was such a cutie. i always wondered why they never really gave him a southern accent in the movies. and it was like BAM! there it was 🙂 i guess when he takes on a position of authority, the southern twang makes an appearance.
the fight scenes were quite entertaining and not nearly long enough. definitely not nearly long enough. i enjoyed the effect of when the vampires were torn apart–it sounded like breaking glass and twisting metal. bree’s appearances tugged at my heart. especially after reading “the short second life of bree tanner” and knowing how doomed she was. i was also impressed with xavier as riley. he acted brilliantly. which is why he gets to be my post image.
as far as the drama went with the love triangle, i couldn’t care less. i wanted to see more of leah and seth. i feel like i cared about everyone else except bella and edward. i’d say that the best parts of the movie for me were rosalie, jasper, and the action sequences. oh, and bella’s ring looked like a $5 piece of fashion jewelry. but that’s just me.
prophecy of the sisters by michelle zink
part 1 review
so, Lia and i are good now. there were two specific instances, one with her boyfriend james and one with her aunt virginia, where she went balls to the wall and stood up for herself. bravo. along with Lia’s growing toughness, the prophecy has become more complicated and far-reaching. by the end it’s plain that this book is definitely part of a series (jeez). in fact, once i finished, i couldn’t help but think that the adventure has yet to begin. that the entire novel was merely a set-up to the actual journey. it wasn’t as much of a letdown as i would have thought. probably because the last few chapters set up for quite an adventure and the excitement i felt far overpowered the annoying aspects.
i did have a strong emotional response to Lia’s and Alice’s little brother Henry. he and his sisters are about the same amount of years apart as my brother and me so i just kept picturing him as my brother. what a sweet and devoted little boy Henry is and his fate completely pulled at my heartstrings.
in the story, the worlds beyond the physical plane are called the Otherworlds. these are dangerous places to be, especially for those involved with the prophecy. and happily, Luisa and Sonia become a major part of the prophecy. always good to see those two. Alice is still lurking about and proved her insanely evil capabilities by the end. i will never forgive her.
i felt the tide turning in the end and the adventure looming…glad i’m along for the ride.
and it never ends
omg. why does every book i pick up inevitably have to be part of a series? it’s completely the fashion in book-writing nowadays. especially with YA. my frustration came to a head when i looked over the book selection in my local supermarket this week. i saw a book cover that looked strangely like the three covers of alyson noel’s “the immortals” series. upon further inspection i verified that it was indeed the fourth book in the series. good grief. i have the third book “shadowland” in my TBR pile. now i’m even farther behind. i don’t even like the series but i feel compelled to finish because i’m in so deep. ugh. first “the maze runner” then “prophecy of the sisters” now this. of course, those two are pretty awesome so i don’t have much of a complaint there (especially with “the maze runner” which is completely amazing). but i do desire the satisfaction of finishing a novel and having it be the end of it. i must finish “battle royale”.
battle royale …cont.
part 1 review
you know, when i started reading the first few pages i couldn’t help but think “why is this book boring right now?” it consists mostly of backstory so i chucked it up to that. and since it was originally written in japanese, maybe something got lost in translation? anyway, boooooring. and i was dismayed because the book weighs a ton and i knew i’d never make it through if it kept up that attitude. but like i said before, the story completely captivates once the killing starts. in fact, i’m on page 342 (21 students remaining).
i’m highly impressed that i can recognize each of the 42 students most of the time. especially when they have names like yoshio, keita, tatsumichi, toshinori, etc. That should say wonders about how well the characters are fleshed out. the story is progressing by sorting out who has given into killing and who are the ones determined to survive and escape. lots of violence and the descriptions are pretty darn descriptive. as i’m learning more about the main characters, i find myself more concerned about their well-being. some tricky stuff is coming up in the plot and some ingenious tactics are being used by some smart characters. i feel the rapid page turning about to begin so i’m thinking the next time i post on battle royale, it will be the last.
final review
the maze runner by james dashner
i admit that i bought this book at SAM’S of all places. it was sitting amongst some other YA novels that i enjoyed. i never heard of it, but the cover looked neato so i figured “what the hell”. strangely, i seem to have really good luck with the books i pick up there. i’ve had it in my book arsenal for, who knows, maybe a little under a year now and i figured it was time to dust it off and get to readin’. my husband chose it as my next read out of a pile of to-be-read books and what an awesome choice that was.
essentially, it’s about a maze, lol. but seriously, some boys are mysteriously sent up to the maze with their memories swiped and they build a way of life while trying to escape. it’s not worth saying anymore because the surprises are worth it. the author is so good at giving you just enough teaser evenly throughout the story to keep it riveting. i had a million questions the whole way through and dashner gave just enough information to keep you hooked without divulging all the answers. a quite even spread. what intrigued me the most was the feeling i got early on that the maze is part of a larger, catastrophic, all-encompassing problem. it was one of the first things i picked up on because i LOVE when stories are part of a much bigger picture. and the best part of getting to the end of a novel like this is when it says “END OF BOOK ONE”. that kind of thing sends me straight to google to discover that it’s going to be a trilogy!! could you die?! ——>next book “The Scorch Trials” out October 12.
as far as the characters go, i didn’t feel one way or another about the main guy Thomas. i was mostly thankful he was there to tell me about all the craziness of the maze. i felt that the secondary characters were fleshed out a lot more for some reason. one maze runner named Minho and one sort-of leader named Newt were totally awesome to me. i felt for them more than anyone else i think. there was one little guy named Chuck who grew on me by the end as well. i’m happy that dashner was not afraid to appropriately kill off characters. it helps make more of a solid story to me. this is one of those stories where little details mean a lot at some point toward the end, so don’t skim over things that have no meaning yet. of course, dashner has a way of introducing meaningless details with an air of foreboding so it’s not likely you’ll forget them easily.
one last point, the slang in this book is hilarious. but i could understand if someone thought it was dumb. it came off as cute and clever to me. read: shuck-face, slinthead, klunk, shank. they are used A LOT. enjoy 🙂
beginning battle royale by koushun takami
the first thing i noticed was that this book is extremely heavy for its size. weird. i’m on page 78 and it’s been interesting because the killing has started. the plot is that a junior high class in japan is picked to fight to the death in an arena. very “hunger games”-ish, so i like it. there is actually a nice dictionary explanation of this killing ritual know as “the Program”.
Program n. 1. A listing of the order of events and other information […] 4. A battle simulation program conducted by our nation’s ground defense forces, instituted for security reasons. Officially know as Battle Experiment No. 68 Program. The first program was held in 1947. Fifty third-year junior high school classes are selected annually (prior to 1950, 47 classes were selected) to conduct the Program for research purposes. Classmates in each class are forced to fight until one survivor is left. Results from this experiment, including the elapsed time, are entered as data. The final survivor of each class (the winner) is provided with a lifetime pension and a card autographed by The Great Dictator. In reaction to protests and agitation caused by extremists during the first year of its enactment, the 317th Great Dictator gave his famous “April Speech.”
whaaaaaat?! awesomeness. makes for a thrilling and emotional story. and before every chapter there is a current body count. it started with 42 students, 21 girls and boys. i’m currently at “38 students remaining”. so far, the story has been narrated by a boy named Shuya Nanahara who is immediately likable. all the students are on an island and have just been released from the central location to disperse within the island. before dispersing, each student received a bag filled with food, water, and a random weapon. keeps getting better. they each have a metal collar around their neck which will explode if they try to remove it. even better, the island is divided into zones and a computer will randomly select forbidden zones. if you don’t evacuate a forbidden zone by the given time, the collar will explode. keeps the students moving around. there’s so much more but you’ll have to actually read it to get all the details, duh.
Shuya has witnessed the deaths of some classmates and still cannot wrap his head around the idea that they have to kill each other. he’s still holding out hope that he can meet with his classmates and plan a way of escaping. so far, he’s only caught up with one injured girl, Noriko Nakagawa, and they are on the run. will Shuya keep from falling into the government’s trap and believe the only way to survive is to kill his friends? I DON’T KNOW! THIS MESS IS CRAZY!
part 2 review
final review
percy jackson and the olympians: the lightning thief — movie
first off, i liked it. two hours went by and i remained fully immersed. the action sequences had a lot of umph and power so i was glad they didn’t try to make it some soft pansy kid movie. well, it couldn’t be a kid movie since most of the cast was approaching mid-twenties and 12 year old percy was actually 18, but who’s nitpicking? i mean, annabeth’s blond curly hair was brunette and straight and grover’s gangly acne-ridden awkwardness was replaced by a stronger, older, comedic brandon t. jackson. but you know, alexandra deddario has beautiful blue eyes that are striking against her dark hair and actually perpetuate a sense of godliness and brandon t. jackson was an amazing comedic relief. and his CG goat legs came out great. so no harm done.
i heard that the director chris columbus replaced the chimera with the hydra because he thought the chimera was lame. but the hydra shows up in the second book. i guess he’s just going to leave it out of the second movie since it doesn’t play a huge role. and why make medusa beautiful (uma thurman)? but i guess the hydra was enough ugly for the movie. WHERE WAS CLARISSE???? THALIA????? and more importantly, WHERE WAS ANY MENTION OF KRONOS????? oh wait, i think they did mention him in the museum. it just kills me that a movie will fail at building an underlying thread when the whole story is already written out. instead, they will introduce a backstory all at once when it has less of an impact. i mean, when the trio are in the underworld, there’s no tartarus and krono’s voice trying to suck percy down. no shoes with wings trying to fly grover into the abyss. luke does give percy the shoes with wings but they aren’t used at all how they are in the book.
i have to say that my favorite part was the lotus casino and hotel. perfection. lady gaga songs and all. and the effect of eating the lotus flowers…you have to see it. i didn’t really like the camp on screen. they didn’t have separate cabins for each god. they even made it so that poseidon built a lodge specifically for percy only. the gods were made to be more influential in their children’s lives. and instead of the long standing rule that gods can only act indirectly with half-blood offspring, the movie made it so that zeus made this rule because poseidon was becoming too involved with percy. AND there’s no mention that “the big three” made a pact to never procreate again. AND there was no waiting for your possible god parent to claim you. everyone just accepted that percy was poseidon’s kid. i’ve learned long ago to separate my book and movie experiences so that if something does match up, i’m impressed. i’m excited to see the rest and hope that the liberties are at least kept on the same level as this one.
percy jackson and the olympians: the lightning thief
i caved. i saw the movie trailer before anything and thought “what is this harry potter rip-off crap?” then it made it on someone’s end of the year best books list and that’s when i caved. i can’t help but compare it to harry potter. the adventurous trio: two boys and a girl. the girl being the genius of the group. one boy who is an adorable dimwit, then the star of the show who is brave and defiant…gee whiz. they even use the term “half-blood” for their camp name (not to mention that they have to go to this camp to hone special skills). the trio go on perilous adventures to save the world. sheesh. aside from the minor distraction of comparing percy jackson with harry potter, i enjoyed it quite a lot.
it is a bit geared towards a younger crowd but i found myself laughing out loud a few times by some special one liners. the incorporation of traditional greek myths was very interesting and the way they were reworked to fit into a modern time was fun. i really appreciated the explanation of why certain characters in greek mythology were alive today even though they were supposed to be killed in the myths. kronos, who is the titan father of “the big three” (zeus, poseidon, and hades) is given some explanation. i wasn’t very familiar with titans in mythology and i found it refreshing that the mention of this titan father is the start of the thread to the 5 book series. it was very easy to get lost in the details of this story: the daddy/mommy issues all demigods (half-bloods) have, the dyslexia & ADHD, the magical weapons, the prophecies, the pit stops during the trio’s quest that each touch on a different myth, the tragedy of thalia…yeah, i impulsively bought the entire series in hardback and it came in this cool chest thing.
city of glass
after royally sucking at blogtoberfest, i am back with an actual book post! here’s my excuse: i was thrown into a new project at work against my will, which stressed and annoyed me to no end that i didn’t even have the focus to look at words in a book. the timeline totally fits–i started the project at the end of september which equals one actual book review in october (lame!). the tides turned eventually and i have been greatly rewarded 🙂 no more project and no more going to work .period. BECAUSE I AM WORKING FROM HOME!!! well, sunday is officially my last day going into work (as long as my karma holds up and doesn’t curdle or anything). this means LOOOOOOOOOOTS of time for reading…hehehehehehehehe!!!!
so, let’s talk about the book that took half my life to read, shall we? it! was! really! great! the ending to clary’s adventure was spectacular. this third and last book of “the mortal instruments” series was a little more adult (that demon was so trying to rape that girl!) but it pumped some adrenaline into the story. it helped set this book apart and establish it as one of the better grand finales i have read.
so much is revealed, especially jace and clary’s origins. i already had an inkling about jace from the second book but i still managed to be surprised. you’ll see, i just don’t want to give anything away. we see idris and alicante, a grand battle with demons, actual angels (ithuriel’s story is just gut-wrenching and raziel’s appearance is AWESOME!). clary’s mother is back in action and you’ll burn right through the chapter on her backstory. and valentine’s true evil is exposed with what he did to jace, clary, and a smoldering new guy. dear sci fi/fantasy genre, why are you so good to me? this last book has officially cemented me as a fan.
movie notes: where?!
book to movie: the host
most avid readers and twilight fans have already heard the news that stephenie meyer’s novel “the host” has been given the okay to become a movie. check out stephenie meyer’s website for more information. here’s her post:
I’m so excited to be working with Nick Weschler, and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz to bring The Host to a visual format. They’ve all been a dream to work with, so lovely and collaborative, and I feel like we’re in a really good place to make a great movie together. And then to have Andrew Niccol writing and directing? Truly awesome. If you’ve never seen Gattaca, go watch it now. One of my favorite movies of all time. It’s such a great example of character driven science fiction, which is ideal for The Host, no? I’m having an absolute blast imagining different dream casts, which I would post if people didn’t take my silly blogs so seriously these days. I’m looking forward to seeing the cast lists you come up with in the fansite forums, and if any of them match mine.
So, very exciting. Yay Host!
XO
Steph
at first i was like “oh neat, guess i should go see that”. then i started to recall the story and got really excited. i remember the beginning grabbing my interest then the last 100 pages or so being crazy suspenseful that i was flipping the pages in a maniacal blur. but the rest of the book was slow going to me: reading about Wanderer wandering around the desert and her experiences in the caves with unbody-snatched people…yeah, pretty cool but i just wasn’t clicking with it. but in movie form???? hellz yeah! i can’t help but think that a movie with help add some umph to the story as they take some liberties with it. maybe condense what happens in the caves so it’s more like “bam! bam! bam! stuff’s happening all over the place!”. i’ll be there to watch it. and meyer tends to take her book to movie transitions very seriously as you can tell from her post, so i’ll bet the movie has something spectacular to offer even if the book was not the ish.
living dead in dallas
well, finally i’m done! i watched the first 2 episodes of true blood on tvshack and it got me all excited about the books again. there’s more murder in this one which forces sookie to join in some erotic escapades later in the story. is it me or does sookie find herself in the most sexually charged environments that have no business being there? practically her whole town participates in sex parties? oh, really? the reason behind the murders in the first book was so much more believable.
luckily, sookie and co. do a stint in dallas when her “gift” is lent out to the head vampire there. this was much more interesting since “the fellowship of the sun” is introduced causing shenanigans in the vampire community. these extremists believe vampires should “meet the dawn” and burn since their very existence is sin. sookie displays her charming train of thought at one point when she asks a fellowship member when their lock-in starts:
“At six-thirty. We want our members to get here before they rise.”
For a second, I envisioned a tray of rolls set in some warm place.
oh, sookie.
anyway, sookie helps rescue a dallas vampire from the hands of the fellowship then returns to bon temps to solve the murder of her friend…blah blah blah. it’s all pretty airy. but sookie does refine her telepathic ability and is able to communicate with other telepaths. sookie and bill break up then get back together something fierce. oh, there is also a nice twist on who bill’s descendants are. i guess i found book 2 interesting enough, but book 1 sat better with me. i hear they get better so i’m sticking to it. anyway, more fellowship of the sun please! thanks.
tv notes: i’m working on it. i’ve watched approximately 2.5 episodes which rejuvenates my interest in the books. so i need a little bit of this to want a little bit of that.
a wrinkle in time
wow, have you read this book? it’s supposed to be a children’s novel but it was written in such an advanced way and contained some very complex elements. if you read it when you were little, i suggest reading it again because you’ll probably get something completely different out of it. first of all, i’d like to bow in appreciation for all the physics this story incorporated. the plot is based on the fact that space-time can be “wrinkled” to travel from one place to another instantaneously. there’s even illustrated diagrams 🙂 stuff like this never ceases to amaze and excite me which is probably why i got my degree in physics and astronomy.
meg and the other characters use this means of transportation (called a tesseract) to try rescuing her missing father. meg’s father has been lost to “the black thing” which the characters must venture into. meg’s reaction to the black thing is chilling:
what could there be about a shadow that was so terrible that she knew that there had never been before or ever would be again, anything that would chill her with a fear that was beyond shuddering, beyond crying or screaming, beyond the possibility of comfort?
“IT” is the being who manipulates minds in order to spread the blackness. there are some very compelling scenes in this story that don’t fall short of ripping your emotions apart. from witnessing meg’s mother’s breaking heart to realizing that wonderful calvin is loved by no one to meg pouring out her love to save her brother. the premise of the story is simple: a misfit realizes she would endure all the pain and misery of the world in order to enjoy all the love and happiness it can bring. but the book is written so expertly that i was happy to go along with it.
this isn’t just an emotional rollercoaster though! when the characters arrive in a world controlled by IT, i found myself on the edge of my seat. the descriptions of all the children bouncing their balls in sync and all events happening at the allotted time made my skin prickle. it’s a small book so read it. you’ll be glad you did.
movie notes: what?! i just went to imdb and saw that there is, in fact, a movie. how did i not know this? i’m going to tvshack.net to see if i can find it. it looks pretty cheesy though.
catching fire–the review
well, i can finally breathe! this book was just everything i expected it to be. i’m still on the high of finally getting my eyeballs in catching fire. this usually means that the plethora of good stuff completely outshone anything that may have been wrong with the story.
book 2
practically every old favorite makes an appearance or gets honorable mention. it’s the inclusion of dead and gone characters and the slight development in the background characters that made me feel really connected to the story. i was so pumped when rue was mentioned a fair amount. the interaction with katniss and district 11 is so heartbreaking and fiercely powerful that i had to take a moment to slap myself together. but it was over for my already fragile tear ducts when katniss has a run-in with a new character and fellow district twelver named darius…you’ll see (and maybe you won’t act like a big baby like me, but every heartless savage is entitled to their own reaction).
the plot twist is pretty sweet and allows the introduction of new characters who i loved right off the bat. the biggest surprise came from johanna who i was initially annoyed with, but she became one of my favorites due to her fabulous way of speaking the truth. suzanne collins did a great job of including the hunger games in this book without rehashing the same storyline that we saw in the first. and the ending? well, it is just the darndest thing of a cliffhanger…practically a climax of the story that is abruptly cut off…until next time.
i really don’t want to give away any spoilers because this series is so full of surprises it would be a shame to even shed light on the storyline. but here’s a morsel from our very own katniss, a girl after my own heart:
For dessert we dip chunks of fruit in a pot of melted chocolate, and Cinna has to order a second pot because i start just eating the stuff with a spoon.
movie notes: eyes peeled!
CATCHING FIRE
in my possession!
ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!!!! i can hardly contain my excitement! i have just returned from walmart on the off chance that they might have the second installment of the hunger games which was released today AND THEY DID! there it was stacked next to a fresh supply of hardback copies of the hunger games, how appropriate 🙂
finally!!!!!
i will make quick work of this one no doubt–i started reading while i was in line to pay. it’s simply 2 legit 2 quit. happy reading and stay tuned for a review post!
city of ashes
i have the weary lightheadedness that comes from reading nonstop for hours on end, all day. as is my ritual, i spent my saturday at work finishing my book–work shmurk i say. can i get a resounding “hell yeah!” to how entertaining this series is? i am referring to “the mortal instruments” series of which i have finished the second book. there was so much more delicious development of the characters in this one and lots of sticky plot twists.
city of ashes
there was extra stuff on faeries and vampires of which some very interesting plot developments came (i’ll just go ahead a rub simon’s name all in that). and of course there was more exploration of the “flowers in the attic” syndrome affecting jace and clary. and would you believe? their relationship seemed questioned in this book, as if maybe they aren’t related after all!! the seed of doubt is unmistakably planted by the faerie queen, the inquisitor, and a side story about a woman who killed herself when she was 8 months pregnant. not to mention the almost constant declarations that jace and clary have no resemblance to valentine….hhmmmm…it’s a conundrum. i may pop over to walmart to buy the last book tonight.
i thought there was a lot more graphic violence in this one (but hey, the more the merrier) and more outrageously horrific situations that were quite expertly described. it’ll hit you right from the start <<enter the silent brothers>>.
i saw that the badassness of certain characters was cranked up a huge notch. and speaking of badassness, i would like to present this tasty tidbit of my favorite whip-wielding shadowhunter:
not that traditional princess behavior was like isabelle at all. isabelle with her whip and boots and knives would chop anyone who tried to pen her up in a tower to pieces, build a bridge out of the remains, and walk carelessly to freedom, her hair looking fabulous the entire time.
movie notes: pop on over to mindful musings for some sweet news!
city of bones
a goody
looky looky, sarah found a gem! finally, a book that i really truly enjoyed. AWESOME AWESOME fantasy! it’s truly amazing to me when authors take a fresh perspective on the same mythological characters known to everyone. this is the first book in the series “the mortal instruments”. the author cassandra clare introduces her own fantasy concoction of “shadowhunters” with their badass rune markings who are the coolest things since sliced bread. i thought the plot was pretty unpredictable, although not as expertly done as j.k. rowling. clare might have foreshadowed a tad too much since i was able to guess a few events right before they happened. the continuity of the story flowed pretty flawlessly which lent for smooth reading.
city of bones
one of the things that i really appreciated was the main male character, jace. finally!!! we no longer have a gorgeous-beyond-belief, smooth-talking, great-at-everything guy who steals our heroine’s heart. jace is cool, arrogant, proud, and brutally honest–and these are the characteristics that are surprisingly attractive! he doesn’t feel the need to coddle the girl that he’s attracted to like she’s a delicate flower…probably because the girls in this book are blade-wielding, rune-wearing, ass-kicking demon slayers! and don’t worry, it’s not cheesy, more mystical and magical than anything.
obviously, i would recommend this book to everyone, especially if fantasy is your thing. this one is well done. i cannot wait to get my hands on the next 2. oh, and stephenie meyer gave her stamp of approval if you care about that–it’s right smack in the middle of the dang cover.
movie notes: ……..
his dark materials
you might recognize the first book in this trilogy called “the golden compass”. if you don’t mind outright atheism, then this is a lovely selection. the atheism doesn’t get really gory until the last book. i couldn’t put this series down if not for the sheer fact of wanting to see how the heck it ends–the story steps all over hallowed ground so you may find yourself holding your breath and trying to look away.
his dark materials
fantasy aspect gets an A++. there’s also a lot of physics stuff in there that gave the geek in me some heart palpitations. ahem, just be opened minded when it comes to the religious stuff (don’t worry, it’s not preachy–things just sort of are the way they are). it’s a really great adventure but i thought it ended on a very sad and lonely note. and i don’t think i would have felt so lonely if there had been a stronger, more just perception of God or religion–and i’m not even a really religious person.
movie notes: it’s such as shame that they’re not going to make the last two. i read somewhere that the church had so many people boycott the golden compass which caused it to tank at the box office which led to the last two movies not being made, boooooooo! i don’t know how much truth there is in that, but it sure would have been super to at least see the other two. humph!
blue moon
why do i bother? …because i love reading, that’s why! so i guess it’s been only a day and i’m done with the second installment of “the immortals” series. i knew all my wishing for originality was in vain BUT it was, in fact, more original that the first book “evermore” (see previous post). i got to learn more about immortals which i had hoped for and the ending leaves a huge setup for an even more original third book (out feb 2010)…we shall see.
blue moon
there was, without a doubt, ATROCIOUS copying of the twilight series. please judge the following: a new male character is introduced who is trying to steal affection from our female character “ever” (her name is ever, remember?) while our male hero damen slips into the background, and there’s mention (in the first book, too) of how fast damen drives because he has a built-in police detector as part of his psychic abilities. and this takes the cake: there is a line in this book that says, and i quote, “the lions are now lunching with lambs”. at this point i took a great pause and thought “if alyson keeps doing this, i’m going to have to send her a nasty email”. but the moment passed and i continued reading.
alyson really is a good writer, which is why i can stand to read this series. and there’s still enough intrigue and suspense that i will still label this series as readable and enjoyable although still u.n.o.r.i.g.i.n.a.l.
movie notes: nada
the giver
before i found harry, i had jonas. then i went back to jonas and realized how much i missed him. jonas is a young boy who is trying to make it in a crazy utopian society. on the day he is assigned his job, his life hits the fan. he lives in a world where everything is controlled: the environment (including the weather–whoa), education, families, jobs, sexual urges are repressed (double whoa), and even animals are a myth. so to me, the most awesome thing would be to expose someone from this world to the real world. (and that’s what happens, if you catch my drift)
the giver
this is a short easy read and completely worth your time. it has kind of a sadder more serious undertone but the suspense and adventure are bitchin’. the story is a great work of fantasy in my opinion but the whole utopian concept didn’t seem so far-fetched, which kind of creeped me out. i was rooting for jonas the whole time and the ending didn’t disappoint.
movie notes: um, why haven’t they made one? has anyone read this book? it practically screams “movie adaptation!!!”
the hunger games
ah, mockingjays, tracker jackers, and Peeta, oh my! i think i might like this book better than twilight. it’ll depend on how the rest of the series pans out. this is the first book in a trilogy (hurrah for trilogies!). the second installment called “catching fire” will be released on sept 1st. i so love discovering a good series. there’s nothing better than reading an awesome book and finding out it will have siblings. it just prolongs the enjoyment.
book 1
the story is set in postapocalyptic america which is now called panem. the book begins with the reaping where one boy and one girl are selected from each of the 12 districts to compete in the hunger games. and then the story just goes nuts from there. you will totally love this nutty goodness. there’s a badass chick named katniss everdeen that will make bella from twilight look like a sappy wuss. there’s so much action and lots of twists that you couldn’t possibly be bored when reading it (which is why i would absolutely recommend this book for someone who doesn’t like to read). the descriptions in the story were impacting and provided really cool visuals. and if a book can make me cry, then it automatically moves up in my opinion–damn you, rue!! wwwwhhhhyyyy???? the suspense was very consuming. i had to abandon unnecessary daily tasks just to finish. when i go into lockdown like this, my dogs and husband have to band together for food and care–such good sports.
of note: since stephenie meyer recommended this book, it has gained quite a following. i wouldn’t be surprised to see its popularity continue to grow. since the series is still in progress, this could mean opportunities for midnight releases and parties and such.
book 2
if you’ve missed midnight release madness for harry potter and the twilight series, this may be your chance to have this experience! it’s so much fun to be with others who are just as excited as you when anticipation comes to a head at midnight. and you’ll know you’ve become a supernerd when you pull an all-nighter after you get the book. “catching fire” is already available for preorder!
movie notes: they’re going to make a movie!! lionsgate has bought the rights to make one 🙂 and suzanne collins (the author) is going to write the screenplay 🙂 🙂 i’m extremely excited to see this book on film and if you’ve read it, you know why. i’ll be at the midnight showing. holla back.
twilight
again, no synopsis here. it’s all to do with vampires and werewolves and young love. part of me feels like i’m discrediting myself completely by suggesting this series, but i did read it before all of the hoopla began and…whatever, i liked it.
twilight series books 1-4
this series is basically my tried and true recommendation. this is the gem that i recommended to the 3 non-readers (from “my rant”). it’s not one of the deepest stories i’ve read and some have even criticized the ending as being lightweight, but it sure is entertaining. whatever your preconceptions are, you should just give it a try. it will keep you hooked all the way through the behemoth of “breaking dawn”. i thought the whole idea of vampires and werewolves was extremely unoriginal and i was delighted with the fresh mythology that stephenie meyer cooked up.
meyer has a knack for coming up with very entertaining stories even though she may not be the greatest writer. it gives hope to aspiring novelists and mediocre writers like myself. from a fantasy lover’s perspective, this takes a nice piece of the cake. it’s easy to lose yourself in the adventure and sexiness of the story.
i’m wondering if it’s even worth addressing the commercialization of this series. <<still thinking…>>
movie notes: i was actually one of the ones that loved twilight. the acting was quite nice, wasn’t it? this was one of the closest book to movie adaptations i have seen in a long time and i appreciated that. i now offer a chill pill for all you grizzly bears.
harry potter
ok folks, i’m not going to give you another synopsis to add to the millions that are already out there. if you don’t have an inkling of what this book series is about by now, then…i don’t know…do you really not know?? what concerns me more is that i know people that have not read it when i know for a fact that they would really enjoy it.
harry potter books 1-7
as far as fantasies go, this is the motherload. i especially recommend this series to new readers. this is one of the richest stories i have ever read–both complex and easy to read. j.k. rowling is a genius and you will find yourself startled when you realize how much you care about even the smallest characters. seriously, book 7, just wait. the books mature as harry matures so if you think the first two fit the “children’s story” mold, keep on truckin’ because you won’t be disappointed. did i mention book 7? yeah, just wait.
caution: DO NOT get caught up in the commercialization of this series. don’t not read it because you see it advertised everywhere in different media and you’re sick of it. that would just be a horrendous mistake and i would have to throttle you. i know someone who did just that and she was floored when she finally read them all in, like, 2 weeks.
i shed many tears when making my way through the series. i am still beside myself with amazement at the detailed world that rowling created. the books were such an awesome escape for me. the fantasy and adventure supernerd in me was euphoric.
people, if you haven’t taken a ride on this train, you need to hop on.
movie notes: atrocious but enjoyable. i find that people who have not seen many book to movie transitions tend to act like irritated grizzly bears when not every line from a book is in a movie. with respect to that, the movies are an abomination. but still enjoyable i think.
the bookend. 