Books to Movies! Silver Linings Playbook

I read and loved Silver Linings Playbook back in  February and never got the chance to actually see the movie for myself until last week! I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and was especially excited because Jennifer Lawrence is in it and, of course, I’ve come to love her (and especially her interviews) after she took on the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.

I have to admit, though, that this is a movieI kind of wish I hadn’t read the book before because I know that I would have enjoyed it so much more if I didn’t already have the plot and characters in my head. They changed so much of it throughout the movie and even changed the ending; all of that and there were still little, unimportant things that were changed for the movie but it didn’t seem like they needed to be changed in the first place. I don’t like it when book to movie adaptations change little things for no reason whatsoever and The Silver Linings Playbook was completely full of that.

The characters also felt different, even the ones that they didn’t alter too terribly. Pat and Tiffany, the two main characters, were great. The supporting characters were a mess, looking at them as a fan of the book. Pat and his father were supposed to have a struggling relationship; the entire movie, though, his father is so happy to see him and wants to spend as much time as possible with him. Important character developing scenes for minor characters were cut out, which I totally understand, but what I don’t understand is why they decided to make a movie that, really, was a completely different story from the book.

I love the book. I like the movie, but only because I can step back and appreciate it for what it is if I absolutely don’t associate it with the book. Connecting the two together just makes the movie into one of the poorest adaptations I’ve seen in a while.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

author : junot diaz

pages : [hardcover] 335

favorite characters : oscar & lola

summary :

This is the long-awaited first novel from one of the most original and memorable writers working today.

Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd, a Bew Jersey romantic who dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fukú — the ancient curse that has haunted the Oscar’s family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still dreaming of his first kiss, is only its most recent victim – until the fateful summer that he decides to be its last.

With dazzling energy and insight, Junot Díaz immerses us in the uproarious lives of our hero Oscar, his runaway sister Lola, and their ferocious beauty-queen mother Belicia, and in the epic journey from Santo Domingo to Washinton Heights to New Jersey’s Bergenline and back again. Rendered with uncommon warmth and humor, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao presents an astonishing vision of the comtemporary American experience and the endless human capacity to persevere – and to risk it all – in the of love.

A true literary triumph, this novel confirms Junot Díaz as one of the best and most exciting writers of our time.

review :

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is both a wonderful title and completely captivating book! I needed to read this for school and did not even know what to expect, though found to my surprise that I really, really enjoyed it. Diaz writes in a completely conversational tone, even as he is giving a harsh political commentary and educating the reader on dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. I loved learning more about something I know so little about, a culture I really don’t know anything about, and in such a great writing style.

Oscar Wao is a book filled with many characters both in the past and present of the novel, all equally as important. Some are only brought in temporarily to demonstrate the horrible results of this dictator Trujillo that ruined Oscar’s life, indirectly, by bringing a curse down upon his family. Or so the narrator writes.

I really loved this book, enough to make me very interested in looking out for more of Diaz’s work. It was a wonderfully written novel, filled with interesting characters and a funny, tragic, action-filled plot that has some in it that would grab any reader and teach them something, too, inadvertently or not. I don’t know that I would have even thought about looking into the history of the Dominican Republic if I hadn’t picked up this novel. I’d recommend it to just about anyone.

4/5 stars

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

The Night Tourist 

author : katherine marsh

pages : [hardcover] 230

favorite character : Euri

summary :

Jack Perdu, a shy, ninth grade classics prodigy lives with father on the Yale University campus. Smart and introverted, Jack spends most of his time alone, his nose buried in a book. But when Jack suffers a near fatal accident, his life is forever changed. His father sends him to a mysterious doctor in New York City-a place Jack hasn’t been since his mother died there eight years ago. While in the city, Jack meets Euri, a young girl who offers to show him the secrets of Grand Central Station. Here, Jack discovers New York’s Underworld, a place where those who died in New York reside until they are ready to move on. This, Jack belives, is a chance to see his mother again. But as secrets about Euri’s past are revealed, so are the true reasons for Jack’s visit to the Underworld. Masterfully told, The Night Tourist weaves together New York City’s secret history and its modern-day landscape to create a highly vivid ghost world, full of magical adventure and page-turning action.

review :

The Night Tourist was a highly simplistic read that I started one night and finished the next afternoon. The writing is very to the point and not overly embellished though I think that I would have liked to see more added into it, especially in the more surreal parts of the novel. It was a very creative and fun journey though it seemed rushed and bland at points because of the bland writing.

I loved the ideas presented throughout The Night Tourist and the underworld that it created for the ghosts who were still in limbo. At times it was kind of confusing to keep track of the supporting characters as there were so many ghosts that Jack ran into, but I really liked the bantering relationship that he and Euri had going on so that definitely distracted me from most faults in this novel. I liked the settings, too; the ghost haunts, the different places around New York.

I think that if the author had added in some pages really developing the narrative and fleshing it out more fully then I would have enjoyed this much more because I really fell in love with all of the creative, ghostly things that were happening and hated it when an oddly phrased paragraph or blunted dialogue dragged me out of the book world simply because of the annoyance that that caused me. I’m really hoping that maybe if this author writes something else that I’ll read, that might not be the case, because of the creativity presented here that isn’t something to miss.

The Night Tourist is geared toward younger readers but I think that it’s a book that anyone can pick up and take something good from.

3.5/5 stars

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

 

Breakfast of Champion

author : kurt vonnegut

pages : [paperback] 302

summary:

In Breakfast of Champions, one of Kurt Vonnegut’s most beloved characters, the aging writer Kilgore Trout, finds to his horror that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth. What follows is murderously funny satire, as Vonnegut looks at war, sex, racism, success, politics, and pollution in America and reminds us how to see the truth.

review :

 

Breakfast of Champions is the second book that I’ve read by Kurt Vonnegut and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the first. I think that I was initially turned off to his writing style because of how early I was introduced to his work and the confusing manner in which my teacher attempted to approach the novel. Breakfast of Champions was much more enjoyable, as I could actually begin to understand the intended meaning behind it all and could appreciate the absurdity as well as the criticism embedded within the narrative.

That being said, I still didn’t really enjoy this book and I don’t think that Vonnegut is the author for me. He can be witty and funny, yes, but there is something about his writing style that just doesn’t grab me and really turns me away from his novels. I know that plenty of people love and revere his work and I can see the potential greatness within it, but I know that it’s for other people to find and won’t be for me, ever.

I’d recommend Breakfast of Champions to Kurt Vonnegut fans, people looking for something absurd to read, or people who have nothing better to read. I don’t think I’ll ever pick up a Vonnegut novel on my own.

Discord’s Apple by Carrie Vaughn

Discord’s Apple

author : carrie vaughn

pages : [hardcover] 299

favorite characters : evie & sinon

memorable quote : “Have you thought about going insane?” It would seem like a reasonable thing to do, given his circumstances.

“Did once. Got boring, so I snapped out of it.”

summary :

When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items. But just because it has never been done does not mean it cannot be done.

And there are certainly those who will give anything to find a way in.

Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse. In the same month, along with this all-new hardcover, Tor will publish a new novel in Carrie Vaughn’s popular, New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series featuring werewolf talk radio host, Kitty Norville. Kitty Goes to War will be the eighth book in this successful mass market series.

review :

I was really excited to start reading this book because I loved the concept so much! There is an untold amount of mythology involved in this book from the Trojan War, to Greek gods, to fairy tales, and King Arthur! I didn’t know that so much would be involved when I started reading and that immediately addicted me to the story. Carrie Vaughn has a fantastic storytelling style that seems perfectly fit to the legends and old tales that she incorporated into her novel. Yet I feel like it was really missing something, despite all of the corresponding elements that I usually love to see in books.

While there were several great ideas presented in the book, it started to jumble together as the reader is brought through the modern day, as well as individual tales about Evie’s ancestors and how they dealt with the storeroom, and the story of Sinon’s past. It felt like there were several different book ideas conflicting throughout the majority of the book because it was just too much to take in all at once and these great, wonderful ideas Vaughn presents rarely have the chance to reach their full potential because they are fighting against other plotlines to gain enough focus to be seen through to the end.

That was something that really bothered me. Not even the modern-day lines seemed to go anywhere and the ending didn’t help that at all. I went and looked to see if there was a sequel to this or any kind of companion in the works but, no, this is it and I wasn’t satisfied with it. I’d recommend reading this just for the beautiful writing and the stories; it’s enough to spark the imagination and be thought of fondly, but with the confusingly large set of characters that go largely unexplored and the potential that is wasted, this would-be favorite of mine has been turned into a simply okay novel, nothing more.

I really hope to read more by Vaughn, though, just because of her beautiful writing style, and I hope that perhaps in her other novels her ideas come through more completely and in a more satisfying manner.

3/5 stars

Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday!

Everyone at some point in their lives picks up one of Shakespeare’s plays or goes to see his work performed on the stage. His is one of the most well-known names in the world, yet it’s also one that’s sometimes met with negative expectations when students hear they’ll be analyzing one of his works. How could it be possible to convey the magic, fun, bright colors and vivid portrayals of a play all through a simple (maybe boring) reading of the script? And I have to admit, although we’re told not to, most people judge books by the cover. Actually this is the problem that most classics have: dull, boring covers. I am so, so very pleased to share with you the wonder that is the Signature Shakespeare collection, reinvigorating four plays I know I’ll never look at the same again.

Because, really, what could be better than a book? A pretty book. One that will look gorgeous on your shelf, in your hand, sitting not so subtly out so that visitors can admire and be jealous of your collection. Because this collection isn’t just about what the covers look like; it’s what’s on the inside that counts!

Each cover has a full laser cut picture on the front with gorgeous detailing, something I could admire for ages, with a half page slipcover that accentuates the cover image. And, even better, there aren’t simply pictures inside . . there are more, beautiful, detailed inserts like these that enhance the plot and reader’s enjoyment. I had fun hunting through the book just to see what all of the images look like, though that isn’t to say that the text becomes completely irrelevant. They also have fantastic essays, notes, and commentary that can enhance anyone’s understanding of these fantastic literary works, from the first time reader to someone who’s loved returning to and reading Shakespeare again and again!

Right now, there are four plays in the collection: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, & Much Ado About Nothing. I have to say that I like the color scheme on Romeo and Juliet the best (just because of the purple in it; I can’t help for immediately going for a favorite color) but each of these books are so beautiful that you can’t go wrong if you choose to get one or an entire set for yourself. Though I recommend getting all of them while you can . . Compared to the old, worn copies of these plays I’ve had to read before, this new collection shines through beautifully!

 

 

Blog Tour! Volition by Lee Strauss: Review

Volition

author : lee strauss

pages : [ebook] 249

favorite characters : noah &  zoe

summary :

What doesn’t kill you…

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.

They’re in love.

Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.

Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.

review :

Wow. Right from the start I loved the two main characters, Noah and Zoe, and the dynamic between the two of them. It’s as captivating as it is heartbreaking because there isn’t simply the usual romantic tension between the two of them; Zoe is trying to figure out how she really feels about Noah because she can’t recall the feelings she had before even though her memories of him are back. That intensity right at the start of the book carries through the rest of the text, leading the reader on a thrilling sci-fi ride.

What’s great about this book is even the bad guys are cool, though I really wouldn’t want to be chased by a bunch of cyborgs in a world where you can’t trust anyone. Zoe is sure that something bad is going to happen to them and Noah is giving everything he has just so that he can protect her. I liked the little moments he had where he’d kind of question what he was doing, just grounding it in some kind of reality, though he always chose Zoe over everything else.

This is a great, quick, fun read that I really enjoyed. I love the setting, the detailed writing, and the characters are fantastic. I really think that it’s Zoe and Noah who make the book, though of course all of the other elements only help to emphasize just how awesome the leading duo is.

4/5 stars