I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!
Thursday Three (8)
1) I am DETERMINED to keep this going and be more regular...like maybe even every week? Wouldn't that be novel? So if you're friends with me nudge me on Wed nights and let me know you look forward to my posts, cause I need to feel the love to feel the inspiration!
2) I am SO giddy that Halloween is coming up next week! One of the things I do with my girls for any holiday is get a bunch of picture books from the library that are holiday specific. This year I want to share two of my faves with you in mini-review format!
LITTLE GOBLINS TEN by Pamela Jane , illustrated by Jame Manning
THE PICKY LITTLE WITCH by Elizabeth Brokamp, illustrated by Marsha Riti
2) I am SO giddy that Halloween is coming up next week! One of the things I do with my girls for any holiday is get a bunch of picture books from the library that are holiday specific. This year I want to share two of my faves with you in mini-review format!
LITTLE GOBLINS TEN by Pamela Jane , illustrated by Jame ManningHardcover, 32 pages
Published July 26th 2011 by HarperCollins
Great Halloween counting book with rhythms and rhymes that allowed my 4 year old to participate in the reading process. Also the illustrations are absolutely adorable!
THE PICKY LITTLE WITCH by Elizabeth Brokamp, illustrated by Marsha RitiHardcover, 32 pages
Published July 7th 2011 by Pelican Publishing Company
| This was a cute book. Great for Halloween and also your picky little eaters to show them that trying new foods can be a good thing! | |||
3) I cannot believe that it's pretty much the end of October. Where did this year go? Wasn't it just yesterday I was making goals for the year, and not that it's October I'm thinking...I am running out of time! What are some goals you made that you feel like you need to pick up the pace to accomplish? One of mine is how many books I wanted to read. Seems like I haven't been reading as much this year, which has resulted in me not blogging as much. Which has all just made me sad. Time to pick up the pace and take some more book time and less Facebook time! | |||
The Last Song
The Last SongNicholas Sparks
390 pages
"Life, he realized, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile." page 376
Veronica "Ronnie" Miller has not spoken to her dad in three years, since her parents' divorce. She was always just too angry to speak with him whenever he called, or even when he came to visit them in New York City. Now, three years later, Ronnie is being forced to spend the summer with him in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Ronnie expects this summer to be a painful one; one full of bad memories and forced conversations. Instead, she finds things she hadn't expected: second chances, and Will Blakelee.
The Last Song is written mostly from Ronnie's point of view, but occasionally, a chapter will be written with regards to Will or her father. This gives the reader a more vivid idea as to the broader scope of the story.
So far, this has been my favorite of Sparks' novels. This is the first novel by him where I have felt entirely connected to the main character, and that I felt had the most sense of plot. Although this book still has a sad ending, I thought it was more subtle than The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, causing no tears to flow.
Overall, this was a good read; captivating, sensitive, and sweet. This would be a great summer read, or for someone who is in need of cloudless skies and salty ocean air!
This book was adapted into a film in 2010.To watch the trailer for the movie, starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth (from The Hunger Games), click here.
On a side note, Off The Shelf now has 4,000 views! Thanks to all of the dedicated readers, the lookers, the skimmers, the glancers, and especially those who have typed "Laurie Halse Anderson" into Google Images causing my blog to pop up! Thanks to all of you Americans, Russians, Germans, and Austrians! I hope you have found something worth your while!
Movie Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Last night after book club (which I always love!) a bookie friend of mine and I went to go see The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Now I have to admit that I have not read the book. But my friend had, and so wanted to see how the movie adaptation compared. And from the previews I was also interested in the movie.
Here is the summary from IMDB: An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.
That's it...it really tells you nothing about the film. So here's the scoop. This movie is not a light fun movie. It isn't just about an introvert, but about a group of High School kids that are all dealing with some serious life issue stuff. Things that make them outsiders, or make them feel that way anyway.
Yes, the main character is a freshman that finds friendship and connects with seniors and NO one else -- except maybe his advanced placement English teacher. He doesn't even seem to fit in his family. But it is about so much more. It is touching, it is tough, and it is also real.
Here's a link to a pretty great clip in the movie: http://www.imdb.com/rg/s/4/title/tt1659337/#lb-vi674145561
Although I wouldn't give it a top picks rating simply because it's not a movie I would own and watch over and over, but I would give it a Reaching New Heights because of how well done I felt it was.
One perk of "Perks" is that the screenplay was also written by the author. So the story held true to the characters and plot of the novel.
I think the acting in this movie was pretty darn superb. Each and every character down to the minor ones were completely believeable in their own personal journeys. It was really quite refreshing to see.
So if you are in the mood for something that will make you think about hard things this one is for you. Just a warning for my readers -- cause I think I know many of you well this movie deals with some adult themes with regards to sexuality pretty much on all levels. But the movie itself is not explicitly sexual and does a good job of letting you know what's going on/has happened without showing too much.
ARC Tour Review: EVERBOUND by Brodi Ashton
tháng 10 18, 2012
Brodi Ashton, Everbound, Everneath, Paranormal Romance
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EVERBOUND
by Brodi Ashton
Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: January 22nd 2013 by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins
Placement in the Pile: Top Picks!
Summary: (from the back cover of the ARC)
Two months ago, the Tunnels of the underworld came for Nikki Beckett. That night, Nikki's boyfriend, Jack, made the ultimate sacrifice. All Nikki wants is to save Jack before it's too late. All Cole wants is to find his queen--and he thinks Nikki is the one. Both determined, both desperate, Nikki and Cole form a tense alliance, leading them on a dangerous journey to the heart of the Everneath.
Review:
I have been SUPER lucky enough to participate in a local ARC review tour for local author Brodi Ashton's EVERBOUND, book 2 in the Everneath trilogy!
For those who don't know an ARC tour like this sets up a chain of local authors and bloggers to pass around one copy of the ARC to review it! It's so fun because we all leave notes in the book for Brodi, and in the end she gets it back with all of our little notes to her. So cool, right!?
Well, I was so lucky to be first on the list, and I dove right into this amazing novel. Brodi Ashton has done it again! Her writing is so smooth and honest that I fly right through her books. The pace just never stops, and even when you think you can catch a moment, or a breath, don't worry, there's something new up ahead that you didn't expect.
Nikki's story in this book is a story of fighting to get Jack back. And we see a lot more of her relationship with Jack and come to love them as a couple so much more. But don't leave Cole out. Could he possibly have true feelings and good intentions?
This is no sloppy middle book. EVERBOUND is a page-turning story that will hold your heart and make you ask, what would you do for the ones you love?
If you have not read EVERNEATH yet, go to the bookstore now, in just a few short months we will have EVERBOUND to add to our shelves, and this is one I certainly will be buying!
And for those DYING for more -- a novella NEVERFALL will be released also sometime in January e-book only, but a short story from Cole's perspective post EVERNEATH. I am DYING to read this one too, especially after reading EVERBOUND! Here's the gorgeous cover for that!
Thoughts, Rambles and Looking Ahead
The leaf at the right is one of many, many, that I found scattered across the lawn this morning. I could have sworn the piles had multiplied in just one evening. And as I look out the window now, the leaves are continuing to fall, but never straight down, always zig-zagging back and forth through the air. The sun didn't really decide to show itself today, making the sky a never-ending plane of different shades of gray. No signs of rain though, no clouds, just vast color. I think the trees are making up for it though. My backyard alone has enough yellow, orange, green, red, and brown to to create half the rainbow. The thermometer currently reads 49, and that is the kind of thing that hits you really hard - Fall is now in full swing, and time is really flying by. For goodness sake, it's October 12th already!
The following poem seems to fit my thoughts at the moment. (I suggest you read it a few times, then reflect)
Nature's first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold. / Her early leaf's a flower; / But only so an hour. / Then leaf subsides to leaf. / So Eden sank to grief, / So dawn goes down to day. / Nothing gold can stay. -Robert Frost
On a different note, you will notice I have added The Crucible by Arthur Miller to my "Currently Reading" section in the sidebar. Supposedly, this is one of the greatest American plays of all time, so I figured it must be worth a look. I find it interesting so far, and plan on reading some more of it after I've finished here.
Some upcoming posts will include a review on The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, and post about the themes of The Crucible. You might even find a The Movie vs. The Book review in the near future.
Enjoy the weekend!
The Movie vs. The Book: A Walk to Remember
A Walk to Remember. The movie was released in 2002, and is rated PG.
As the novel was fairly short, several scenes were added to the movie to give the story more dimension. For example, the movie opens up with Landon and his friends out after their curfew, therefore letting the viewers know that he is not a well-behaved kid. As the movie progresses, you see his change in character more profoundly than in the book.
An example of another added scene would be one where Landon names a star after Jamie. This scene shows the viewer that he really cares for Jamie, and that this is not just some short-lived high school relationship. No matter how "cheesy" that might sound, it was a great addition to the story. To watch this scene from the movie click here.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, maybe even more so than the book. (which is usually quite rare) A Walk to Remember is definitely a movie to watch with your friends, and a story you certainly won't want to forget.
Be sure to check out my review of the book!
I've Got My Ticket!
I have my ticket!
Advance tickets for the movie Breaking Dawn Part - 2 went on sale this past Monday at midnight. Although the movie is not in theaters until November 16th, according to this article, Monday's ticket sales brought in an estimated $1.7 million.
The ending of the upcoming movie has been rumoured to have a different, newly thought-out one as compared to the book. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet, I guess I will just have to wait and see. Only 41 more days!
In the meantime, be sure to read my reviews of all of the books in The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer:
Happy October!
I sure have let life get away with me and this blog has suffered. I appologize! Next week is going to be Shannon Hale week! If you love her, or have never read her stuff, come on over and check out my September month that was very Shannon Hale centered book-wise!
The Notebook
The NotebookNicholas Sparks
214 pages
It is 1946, World War II has ended, and Noah Calhoun has come home to New Bern, North Carolina. After being deployed overseas to Europe, his life has returned to normal. He works from dawn till dusk, only stopping to read poetry. Everything is normal, until Allie Nelson shows up in his driveway. Like a drive back into the past, Noah is soon caught up in feelings and questions he had felt and thought once before. And the most important question is, What is true love?
On a normal trip to the library, I would not have checked out The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. But at a recent get together with friends, I got the whole "You've never seen The Notebook? Oh my gosh, that is like the best movie ever! And Ryan Gosling's in it!"
Before they could persuade me into watching it right then and there, I stated my philosophy of "book before movie". And so, I went to the library last week to check it out.
Honestly, I don't really understand what all of the hype is about Sparks' books. Yes, they are short, very chick-lit, and well told, but they are all so tragic. Both A Walk to Remember and The Notebook had me tearing up. What happened to the prince and princess living happily ever after?
For me, this book was like a puzzle with a few missing pieces. I had questions that were never really answered, and things were mentioned, but never were they elaborated. I found myself a bit bored at times, and a 214 page book can't really afford that.
On a more positive note, the story itself touched my heart, in a way no one who reads this book can deny. The reader will feel the pain Noah and Allie feel, that is a fact, it is just a matter of whether you've felt you've been told the whole story.
To watch the trailer of the movie my friends think is "the best ever" click here.
